COURIER - National Park Service History

COURIERVolume 32, No. 5May 1987Washington, DC

The Director'sReportBy William Penn Mott, Jr.Boundaries, NotBarriers!Park areas have sometimes been likenedto little fiefdoms protected by welldefinedand enforced perimeters, with imperioussuperintendents, who engage inaggressive tactics that promote the goalsof the Service at the expense of others,and who continuously battle with thoseoutside park areas. Is this an unfairrepresentation of park areas? Sure it is.Have I overstated the animosity felttoward us? I hope so, but I'm making apoint. There are certainly a lot of folkswho see us in a completely adversarialrole, and who, unfortunately, woulddescribe us even more negatively than Ijust have. Negative attitudes in some surroundingcommunities have existed for,and developed over, a long time. Theirpersistence must mean that we still needto work hard to try to change thoseperceptions and attitudes toward us.Because we continue to learn and grow, Iam confident that we can overcome thesenegative sentiments.In the early days, interaction betweenpark areas and local communities wasminimal. One of the more obviousreasons for this was that there were nolocal communities near some of the olderpark areas. It hardly made sense to placea great deal of importance on participatingwith surrounding communities,which, if they existed at all, were few andfar between. Today, however, as thepopulation of the United States has continuedto grow, we are finding more andmore communities adjacent to park areasthat once were the most isolated ones.Not all of these growing communities area direct result of America's increasingpopulation; some are being created andexpanded to provide services to parkvisitors. Further, in recent years, Congresshas established more parks in andnear already populated areas. Why theyare there is not as important as how weintend to acknowledge and interact withthem.National Park Service areas are, in asense, intended to be enclaves, whichcreate some major and unavoidable problems.Although designed as enclaves,park areas are neither independent norself-sustaining. They interact in manyways with their surrounding areas—thelarger ecosystem, the historic area, or theurban environment. Since we are justpart of a larger picture, a change in ourown approaches and attitudes isnecessary. To maintain the integrity ofthe parks, we need to be aware of thoseforces, both political and economic, outsideour boundaries that may affect ourmission. Today, much that is going onoutside our boundaries has impact onwhat takes place inside our boundaries.Consider the impairment that zoning andeconomic decisions by local communitiescan have simply because we have notcommunicated our concerns to the localauthorities. There are obvious detrimentaleffects of pollution-causing activities.More subtle impacts can be caused by the"accepted" uses of pesticides andchemicals in surrounding areas.The potential for major impacts onpark areas from those outside park boundariesare equally apparent to others.Members of Congress have entertainedthe notion of legislatively creating bufferzones. I don't support the concept, butproponents are pushing the idea in orderto solve real problems. I agree we have aproblem, but I don't think the answerwill be found in the creation of bufferzones; as we gain more knowledge, itbecomes clear that the boundaries of thebuffer zones will be too small to satisfythe needs of the ecosystem. Therefore, Ifirmly believe the answer is in our gettinginvolved!A Dale Carnegie truism comes tomind, "You can make more friends intwo weeks by getting interested in themthen you can in two years of trying toget them interested in you." We need tobe aware of local interests and be activeplayers in the surrounding community.We are a part of the larger community,and as such, we have a fundamentalresponsibility to be involved. Communityinvolvement is also essential if we are toaccomplish our mission effectively. As aparticipant, we can ensure our side of anissue is voiced, and we can learnfirsthand what community concerns are.At every opportunity, we need to beprepared to work with neighboring communitiesto deal with problems upfrontand early on. Problems still may be unsolved,but at least the attempt will havebeen made. By referring to the surroundingcommunity, I also mean to includestate and federal agencies and otherswhose decisions will impact our resourcesand visitors.By being a part of the community, Imean being a participant in that community,not just coming forward whenthere are problems to be addressed. Tobe constructive and credible in times ofcontroversy, it is important to havedeveloped relationships beforehand.There are plenty of ways to be active andhave a positive role in your community—becoming members of organizations, suchas the Jaycees, Kiwanis, or Rotary Club;being involved in garden clubs, the PTA,or local chapters of the Boy Scouts orGirl Scouts; and taking part in communityprojects as well as getting acquaintedwith the media and government officialsat the county, state, and federal levels.We also have opportunities to inviteneighbors into parks for activities that encouragepositive interaction between parkstaff and local residents. One such opportunityis the Take Pride in America Program.This program not only promotespositive interaction between local citizensand employees, but also creates a newawareness of system areas and can helpform the basis for a concerned and supportivealliance between the Service andsurrounding areas.By encouraging your active involvementin community affairs, I am not suggestingyou have free rein—there are im-2COURIER/May 1987

portant parameters that you must keep inmind! You have to know what to say,how to say it, and when to say it. Toavoid making inappropriate statements,assume you are "on the record" whenspeaking for the Service. You just neverknow when you might read what you'vesaid in the newspaper.Your statements should reflectat all times the Service's position andDepartmental policy and regulations. Ifthere is any doubt about policy or regulations,you better get the necessary informationbefore speaking out.Park boundaries identify our "separateness"from surrounding communities.They must remain intact. Donot allow boundaries to be barriers tocommunication and cooperation. Goodpark managers realize their responsibilitiesdo not always stop at park borders—sometimeswe have to becomeinvolved with what's going on outside.If you haven't yet become involved,now's the time!At some point, park managers will encountercontroversy. There are careerrisks in becoming involved in communityissues, especially when taking controversialpositions—I don't deny that. But wemust all do what we can to improvepark-community understanding or we arenot doing our best for the system.Sometimes the risks to the parks are justtoo high for us to sit back and be silent.Take a stand, and if you've done theproper homework, I guarantee you'll bebacked! I know talk's cheap and this willprobably have to be proven a few timesbefore you'll believe it, but I will dowhatever it takes to make sure youunderstand that this is important to me!Local involvement can improve our relationshipwith neighboring areas and canplay a key role in the future of the nationalpark system. We all need to dowhat we can to assure that park boundariesare not barriers to our involvementin local affairs and to ensure that we aresensitive to local concerns!From the EditorThe September issue of the Couriercarried a letter to the editor from JohnSutton, Chief Ranger at Fort Davis NHS.The views he expressed encouraged aremarkable exchange of opinions,remarkable, as one reader observed,because everyone was "so exposed." Correspondentshad the courage of their convictionsand stood behind them in print.As an editor, I owe a debt of gratitudeto Mr. Sutton. He challenged readers toevaluate their points of view and determinehow strongly they felt—whether,indeed, they felt strongly enough to writeabout what they believed. Such is theway we learn, and such is one of thegoals I have for this publication—to presentinformation that can be evaluated inthe light of the reader's own knowledge,then used either to clarify thoughts or tobuild new bridges of understanding. Oneway to accomplish this, of course, isthrough kind of thought-provoking articlesI want to publish. Another isthrough letters that comment on these articles—lettersthat permit an exchange ofideas beneficial both to reader and editor.A lively letters-to-the-editor departmentis the pulse of a publication. Itkeeps the editor informed of what peopleare thinking and of how well the publicationis doing its job; it provides a forumfor ideas, which is the stuff of learningand a standard against which to test themost cherished of beliefs. So I appreciatesuch letters; I encourage them; and I willcontinue to print them, as long as theyare neither inordinately abusive nor purposelyantagonistic.There is another very powerful functionof the letters department, and, byextension, of the Courier. As current andretired employees share their views on theorganization, they link the present withthe past; they allow the newsletter theprivilege of solemnizing the rites ofpassage that bind us all. Recentlosses—Horace Allright, Tom Lucke, JimMurfin, among them—have triggered lettersand other expressions of grief sent tothis office. The writers weren't sure "ifthis is the kind of thing the Courierpublishes," but they sent their tributesanyway—because public recognition ofthe passing of a colleague is important, iscritically important. It lets us say thatsuch a passing has not gone unmarked,that the individual mattered, that he orshe touched us in quiet, in selfless, inunalterable ways; it helps us deal withour loss, and, ideally, draws us closer toone another.So, indeed, this is but another form ofopenly sharing, not of ideas so much thistime as of the qualities that make ushuman, that tie us inexorably to the pastthat we know through those that havegone before and to the future that we areshaping for those who will come after.This sharing of ideas and of our mutualhistory is, in a sense, our gift to oneanother. It is the thing that can help usgrow. Therefore, to those who have donethis already through the letters they havemailed to my attention, let me say that Iam grateful and let me ask that they keepup such contributions . . . And to thosewho will be sharing in the months ahead,who will be helping to make the newslettera lively, dynamic tool for improvedcommunications, let me say that becauseof such contributions I am excited andoptimistic about the future.On the cover: one of Steamtown 's collection of steam locomotives, a former Canadianlocomotive that pulled long freight trains across the plains, hauls the Steamtownexcursion train through a tunnel. Train memorabilia courtesy of Herb Kistler and Bob Bitzer.COURIER/May 1987 3

The Wilderness Society: dedicated to the wisemanagement of all the public landsBennett BeachThe Wilderness SocietyIn 1934 none of the nation's conservationgroups was paying much attention towilderness preservation. Eight determinedmen decided that there should be such agroup, and in January 1935, after meetingsnear Knoxville and in Washington,D.C., The Wilderness Society was born.Among the eight were giants likeRobert Marshall; Aldo Leopold, authorof A Sand County Almanac; RobertSterling Yard, and Benton MacKaye, whofirst proposed the Appalachian Trial.Their purpose was spelled out by Yardin the first issue of the Society'smagazine: "The Wilderness Society isborn of an emergency in conservationwhich admits of no delay. The craze is tobuild all the highways possible everywherewhile billions may yet be borrowedfrom the unlucky future. Thefashion is to barber and manicure wildAmerica as smartly as the modern girl.Our duty is clear."In the early days, TWS was militantand exclusive. MacKaye said, "We wantthose who already think as we do; notthose who have to be shown." Fundingwas as meager as membership; after fiveyears the budget was less than $4,000,most of it out of Marshall's pocket.Marshall's sudden death in 1939, whenhe was just 38, robbed The Society of itsspiritual leader. The saving grace was thetrust fund that Marshall's estate establishedfor wilderness preservation. TWSwas able to do more, and membership inevitablygrew, but as late as 1952, after17 years, there were still just 5,000members.Though small, The Society was consideredone of the major groups becauseof the talent it was able to attract.Heading its second generation of leaderswere Olaus Murie, famous for his wildlifefield surveys, and Howard Zahniser, aprime mover in passage of the WildernessAct. 'There is no good reason why ourinfluence should not be out of all proportionto our numbers," said Harold Anderson,one of the founders.In 1947, the Governing Council ofTWS officially decided that the groupshould strive for wilderness legislation.Zahniser dedicated the rest of his life tothe task, and the result was the WildernessAct of 1964, signed four monthsafter his death.Aldo Leopold with young tamaracks, c.1946Robert Marshall in Wiseman, AKSigurd Olson (1) with Harvey Broome4COURIER/May 1987

Despite the time and emotional energydemanded by the wilderness crusade,TWS managed to play a part innumerous public lands fights, usuallyworking with its close ally, the SierraClub. Throughout the 1930s and into the1940s, The Society fought battle afterbattle over the preservation of whatultimately became Olympic NationalPark and helped defeat local stockmenand politicians who opposed addingJackson Hole to Grand Teton NationalPark.When the first nationwide conservationcoalition was born in 1951 to stopthe damming of the Green River inDinosaur National Monument's EchoPark, TWS took an active role. In themid-1960s, The Society successfullyfought an NPS plan to lay a blacktophighway across the southern half of GreatSmoky Mountains National Park. One ofthe organization's new leaders was SigOlson, a well known writer on wildernessand consultant to Interior SecretaryStewart Udall and NPS Director ConradWirth.The nation's great leap of environmentalawareness in the 1960s swelled themembership and budgets of all the importantgroups, including TWS. But beneaththe surface prosperity, problems werebrewing. There was deep disagreementabout the organization's priorities anddisaffection with management. During the1970s the difficulties grew more serious.The annual deficit eventually reached$185,000, and membership plummeted 50percent to just 39,000."It was clear that something major hadto be done," recalled Ted Swem, assistantdirector of NPS from 1964 to 1972 andthe council member heading the searchfor a new executive director. "We knewwe needed an uncommonly strong leader,a good administrator who could also getout and raise money."The choice was Bill Turnage, 38, thebusiness manager for Ansel Adams. Hearrived in November 1978, three weeksafter the last dollars in the Robert MarshallWilderness Fund had been used tomeet the payroll.The turnover, voluntary and otherwise,was so complete that after twoyears, only one staff member remainedfrom the pre-Turnage era. "Professionalism"was Turnage's oft-stated goalas he rebuilt the staff. In 1980 he persuadedU.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson, justupset in his re-election bid, to join TWSas a full-time advisor. Nelson was thefounder of Earth Day and a leader of theenvironmental revolution in Congress.Among the others Turnage sought—and hired—were the Sierra Club's ChuckClusen, chairman of the Alaska Coalition;Peter Coppelman, an acclaimedpublic lands litigator for the JusticeWilderness Society OfficersDepartment, and Terry Sopher, directorof BLM's wilderness program. Thegoverning council grew with the additionof distinguished persons from a variety offields.In rebuilding the staff, Turnage gave ittwo new dimensions. He believed that theenvironmental movement needed to makemore of an economic case, so he createda department to do economic analysis onpublic lands issues. It was headed by Dr.Joseph L. Fisher, former president ofResources for the Future and congressmanfrom Virginia. "Second, he made pressrelations a major priority," recalls RonTipton, one of Turnage's first hires andnow Southeast Regional Director.During the Turnage years, the rejuvenatedSociety enjoyed a surge inmembership and played an important rolein passage of the Alaska Lands Act of1980 and the 1984 enactment ofwilderness bills preserving 8.6 millionacres in 20 states.When he took the job, Turnage saidthat he should stay only six years or so.In December 1985, he left. He was succeededby George T. Frampton, Jr., 41,best known as one of the Watergate prosecutors.Chosen in large part because ofhis leadership and advocacy skills,Frampton said, when selected, "Amongthe conservation organizations, the Societyhas been in the forefront on many majorissues—tougher and less compromisingthan some of the other groups. That'sexactly where I want to keep it."Forest planning remains a majorpriority at TWS, as it has been sinceDecember 1984. A growing team offoresters, economists, attorneys, andecologists, directed by Dr. Peter M.Emerson, is critically analyzing andpresenting an alternative to the longrangemanagement plans being issued foreach of the national forests. Last yearThe Society completed a two-year studyof the Tongass National Forest in Alaska,the system's largest. The Society is nowleading a major campaign to limit thetimber progam in that rain forest, whichloses 99 cents on each tax dollar spent,according to TWS estimates.To ensure that the TWS investment inforest planning pays the highest dividendspossible, Frampton has created a NationalForest Action Center. It serves as a clearinghousefor activists across the country,facilitating the sharing of research andanalysis.An outgrowth of the forest work is acampaign to curb the Forest Service'stimber-road building program. TWSjudges that roads are perhaps the mostexpensive and environmentally damagingaspect of timbering. TWS leads a coalitionof conservationists and others determinedto cut the roads budget this year.The Society also has been in theforefront on BLM issues and expects toEdward A. Ames, Chairman, Governing CouncilGeorge FramptonGaylord Nelson, CounselorGeorge T. Frampton, Jr., PresidentPeter Coppelman, Vice PresidentPeter M. Emerson, Vice President, Resource Planning & EconomicsMary F. Hanley, Vice President, Public AffairsAllen E. Smith, Vice President, Finance & AdministrationT. H. Watkins, Vice President, & EditorRebecca Wodder, Vice President, Membership & DevelopmentCOURIER/May 1987 5

devote more and more resources as thewilderness study process intensifies. Manyof these lands adjoin national parks, andtheir wise management should help protectthe parks from external threats. Duringthe 100th Congress, TWS will beworking hard to help pass legislation protectingthe California Desert andwildlands in New Mexico and Arizona.The TWS parks program has severalgoals. One is the mitigation of parkthreats, including overflights at GrandCanyon and elsewhere. "Of course, wewill never stop these threats unless NPS'speople in the field receive the funds theyneed to do research and to monitor theproblems," says Steve Whitney, whorecently moved from NPCA to direct TheSociety's parks program. "We think theAdministration's budget proposal shortchangesthem."We also want to see new areas andboundary expansions," says Whitney. Henoted that the California Desert billwould expand and redesignate as parksboth Death Valley and Joshua Tree NationalMonuments and establish a MojaveWilderness Society in AlaskaThe Great Land has always had aspecial pull on The Wilderness Society.That is natural enough; Alaska isthe wildest place in this nation.It was a big blank on the mapnorth of the Arctic Circle that impelledRobert Marshall to explore theBrooks Range in 1929. Gates of theArctic National Park got its namefrom Marshall, who pinned thatmoniker on two mountains he sawas he climbed a ridge and gazed out,for the first time, at the BrooksRange. His book, Arctic Village,became a best-seller in 1933.Olaus Murie, who was director ofTWS and later president for 17years, was sent to Alaska by theU.S. Biological Survey in 1920. Hemet his wife, Mardy, the firstwoman to graduate from the Universityof Alaska, and they honeymoonedby studying caribou in theBrooks Range. Their work helpedlay the foundation for establishmentof the Arctic National WildlifeRefuge. Mardy, still a member of theGoverning Council, has written threebooks on Alaska and was one ofThe Society's most effective advocatesin the consuming effort topass the Alaska Lands Act.One critical event was the GoverningCouncil's annual meeting in1963, held in Denali National Park."We made a commitment to pushhard on Alaska issues," recalls TedSwem. "That really motivated us."Swem went on to chair the InteriorDepartment's Alaska Planning Groupfrom 1973 to 1976.The group's interest in Alaska remainsstrong. Randall Snodgrass, theonly holdover from the pre-Turnageera, devotes all his time to Alaskaissues. Susan Alexander is the highprofileregional director, based inAnchorage. Alaska's many refugesare watched intently by Bill Reffalt,who played a major part during the1970s in drafting the Interior Department'sANILCA proposal. TWS isthe lead group on two controversialAlaska issues: timbering in theTongass and the fight over thecoastal plain of the Arctic NationalWildlife Refuge.Left. Bill Reffalt, Director of The Society'sWildlife Refuge Program: right, formerSenator Gaylord Nelson, The Society'sCounselorStanding, Susan Alexander, The Society's Regional Director for Alaska;Seated, Steve Whitney, Director of The Society's National Parks ProgramRandall Snodgrass, Director of The Society's Alaska Program.Photos courtesy of Gail Backman Love6COURIER/May 1987

National Park. "The national park reallyis 'the best idea America ever had,' andwe should be on the lookout for opportunitiesto expand the system. I reject thenotion that the park system is almostcomplete."Simultaneously, TWS will continue tourge Congress to designate wilderness inGreat Smoky Mountains and other parksand to add to the Wild and Scenic RiverSystem. At the top of the list this Congressare three California rivers: the Kern,Kings, and Merced.The threats and conflicts confrontingthe wildlife refuge system, including toxiccontaminants, have been a focus of theTWS refuges program. One of the purposesis to dramatize the need for anorganic act for the refuge system, whichThe Society has been advocating foryears. Soon TWS plans to mount a majorcampaign to pass such legislation.Alaska lands, because of the largeacreage involved and The Society's longand intimate connection with Alaska [seesidebar], are treated almost as a fifthpublic lands system. TWS is in thevanguard trying to win wildernessdesignation for the coastal plain of theArctic National Wildlife Refuge. The InteriorDepartment has recommended thatCongress open the plain to oil drilling.Cutting across these various programsis the annual campaign for adequate appropriationsfrom the Land and WaterConservation Fund. TWS heads a coalitionof 12 groups that each Februaryissues a report identifying projects thatdeserve funding during the next fiscalyear. The Society, with Rindy O'Brien inthe lead, then plays a major role inlobbying for approval of the recommendations.With the fund about to expire,TWS will be urging reauthorization.In all of its public lands work, TWS isincreasingly focusing on whole ecosystems.Over the past two years TheSociety has issued reports on GreaterYellowstone, the Southern AppalachianHighlands, and the North Woods. TheYellowstone report pointed out the threatposed to wildlife by habitat fragmentationand proposed creation of amacroreserve through the protection ofconnected lands. "Unless there is strong,coordinated action taken—and takensoon—this country will have fumbledaway a large part of the gift that isYellowstone," says Frampton. TheSociety considers the Yellowstone campaignparticularly important and recentlyset up an office in Bozeman, MT, to furtherits work.Another ecosystem receiving more andmore attention from TWS is theEverglades. Jim Webb, former deputyassistant secretary for Fish and Wildlifeand Parks, has opened a TWS office inMiami and is concentrating on thatecosystem.The Wilderness Society has been headquarteredin Washington since its founding.It has 80 employees in the UPIBuilding at 14th and Eye Streets, whereTWS has put on permanent publicdisplay a 75-print collection of AnselAdams photographs, a gift from Adams.Besides Bozeman and Miami, ninecities have TWS field offices: Anchorage,Seattle, San Francisco, Phoenix, Boise,Salt Lake City, Denver, Atlanta, andBoston. Half of these offices did not existthree years ago, and continued expansionis one of The Society's goals.Each year TWS runs up a biggerprinting bill because of the reports andbrochures it issues. Its primary publicationis the organization's quarterlymagazine, Wilderness, edited by T. H.(Tom) Watkins. Recently The Society coauthored,with Dyan Zaslowsky, TheseAmerican Lands, a major history and aunit-by-unit study of the present conditionand possible future of all the publiclands, published by Henry Holt andCompany.The funding for the publications andthe rest of The Society's operations comesfrom its 160,000 members, bequests, anda growing roll of foundations, which areexpected to account for about a quarterof this year's $8 million budget.Looking ahead, as leaders of TWS areprone to do, Frampton sees more emphasison wildlife and on ecosystemanalysis. "But more important than whichissues we choose to focus on is the fundamentalduty to reach out to the manysegments of the population that have notbeen part of our movement. "Our goal,"says Frampton, "should be to make everysingle American an environmentalist."This is the third article in a continuing serieson the groups that help the parks. The first appearedin August (National Parks and ConservationAssociation: Watchdog for the NationalParks), the second in September(Cooperating Associations in the mid-80s: aturning point).NPS steams into the age of railroadsArthur MillerMARO Public AffairsThe National Park Service found itselfin the railroad business when Congressauthorized a railroad yard in Scranton,Pennsylvania, along with a collection ofold locomotives and railroad cars, tobecome the newest unit of the nationalpark system.The new area—to be called SteamtownNational Historic Site—consists ofthe 40-acre freight yard of the formerDelaware, Lackawanna and WesternRailroad, a roundhouse and locomotiverepair shop, as well as one of thenation's largest collections of steam-eralocomotives and rolling stock.The Steamtown Foundation, whichowns and operates the railway equipment,had moved its locomotive collectionfrom Vermont to Scranton in 1984.The locomotives and cars were purchasedby the late F. Nelson Blount, aWorkers in the repair shops maintaining the former British mainline locomotive,Repton.COURIER/May 1987 7

millionaire businessman who was an enthusiastabout the era of steam power onthe nation's railroads. As railroadsturned to diesel and electric power, hebought old steam engines to save themfrom being cut up for scrap.Today visitors to Steamtown hopaboard a classic old railway passengercar while a smoke-belching steamlocomotive pulls the train 13 miles intothe mountainous countryside and backon a two-hour excursion ride.The Scranton site joins two other NationalPark Service areas that reflectU.S. railroad history. Allegheny PortageRailroad NHS in western Pennsylvaniapreserves the traces of an incline-planerailway that hoisted canal boats over themountains to link with rivers leading tothe west. Golden Spike NHS in Utahpreserves the site of the completion ofthe first transcontinental railroad in theU.S., and invites visitors to see replicasof the locomotives that first chuggedacross the nation."At Steamtown, our initial task willbe to prepare a general managementplan for the site," said Regional DirectorJames W. Coleman, Jr. "Our planningteam will build on an earlier plan thathas been done by the Foundation."Early consideration will undoubtedlybe given to whether to restore the oldroundhouse, built in 1902. The originalturntable was sold by Conrail after thegovernment corporation ceased operationsat the yard, but Foundation officialssay they know of another turntablethat might be donated.After restoration of the turntable andrehabilitation of the structure, thelocomotives and rolling stock could beprotected from the weather in its stalls.How many of the yard's other structures—locomotiverepair shops, sandpits, tracks and switches, coal tipple,switch tower, water tower and storehouses—would be restored will awaitthe decisions of the planners."A number of those on our staff andat the Denver Service Center will be involvedin planning this new area," Colemansaid.Just down the track, but not part ofthe new park area, stands a magnificentrailroad station. Built in 1907, the stationhas been converted to a first-classhotel. It was rehabilitated in 1984 as a$9 million project under the EconomicRecovery Tax Act of 1981 and was certifiedas a historic preservation projectby Tax Act specialists of the Park Service'sMid-Atlantic office.Arnold Embleton, a trainman for 35 years with the Lebanon Valley Railroad, stands beside adiesel locomotive at Steamtown. Photo by Art Miller.Director Mott at the throttle of Repton.Photo by Ike Refice, Scranton Times.8COURIER/May 1987

Arts for the Parks: Interpreting American Landscape in the 1980s"In 1872 Thomas Moran created thispainting of Yellowstone National Park.Congress brought it for $10,000. Todayyour original painting of a national parkcould be worth $100,000."So begins the flyer announcing thefirst annual Arts for the Parks competition.Supported by the National ParkFoundation and the National ParkAcademy of the Arts, it is one of thoserare events that benefits everyone—theartist, the art lover, and the nationalparks. For the artist, there is the incentiveof a substantial prize, plus the opportunityto contribute to a long-standing artistictradition; for the art lover, there is thesatisfaction that only a well-renderedpainting can inspire; and for the nationalparks there is the hope that the contestwill produce contributions to the NationalPark Foundation to support NPSprojects. Seldom if ever, in the 1980s,has there been a contest of such magnitude."If we pull it off," says PattiBoyd, Vice-President of the Academy andco-founder with Phil Nethercott of thecontest idea, "we will have generatedpublicity for American art as well as forthe national parks."With more than 13,000 inquires todate, the odds appear good that they willdo just that. The contest requires a $50fee for each painting entered. A portionof the total collected will go to the NationalPark Foundation to support nationalpark projects. Another portion willbe set aside as seed money for next year'scontest. "Each year we hope the benefitsto the parks and the artists will grow,"Boyd says. "Right now we only have alot of potential; the artists will be theultimate deciding factor."Boyd hopes to interest a broad base ofpainters from throughout the country. Topromote this, the contest rules encouragea range of media and surface choices(paper, canvas, canvas board, oil, watercolor,acrylic, tempera, etc). Likewise, animpressive collection of individuals hasagreed to judge the submissions; ThomasBuechner, former director of theBrooklyn Museum, the Corning Museumof Glass, and the Rockwell Museum;Martha Hill, picture editor for Audubonmagazine; Wilson Hurley, a renownedWestern painter; and Jeremy Strick, assistantcurator for 20th century art at theNational Gallery. They will choose 33paintings from each of three regions, thenreview this selection until three regionaland one first-place winner are chosen.The announcement of the winner will bemade public at an awards banquetSeptember 18, kicking off the JacksonHole, WY, Fall Arts Festival.In separate conversations, JohnBryant, President of the National ParkFoundation, and Patti Boyd took the timeto discuss the Arts for the Parks contestand the philosophy behind it.Q: Mr. Bryant, I understand thatphilosophically the Arts for the Parkscontest is rooted in a rather extraordinaryartistic tradition. Would you care to comment?A: We owe a great deal to the landscapepainters and photographers of thenineteenth century because it was theirvision of the natural wonders of thewestern United States that laid the foundationfor our national park system, settingaside these special places for preservationand enjoyment. While travel tonational park areas today is far lessrigorous, the role of the artist in helpingus see our national park system in aspecial way is still important. I hope thatthe Arts for the Parks contest will encouragemany people to translate theirfeelings about national parks to canvasand enable many more people to enjoyour national park heritage through theeyes of these artists.Q. Do you think today's artists aredealing with a wholly different image ofthe American landscape than they werein the 1870s?A: I think the same grandeur is there.It is our collective vision that haschanged through direct contact with theparks. But an artist does not play our visionback to us. A work of art is shapedby the artist's own experience, by his orCOURIER/May 1987 9

her aspirations, by a variety of influencesthat are different for everyone. Such isthe creative process, and anything thatcontributes to it is a positive force for theNational Park Service and the ethic itstands for.Q: In agreeing to serve on the panelof judges, Thomas Buechner observedthat "we are in danger of losing sight ofthe inspiration around us. Arts for theParks focuses on our most preciousresource: the sublimity of nature. Howcould I resist wanting to be involved?"Are you in agreement with what he said?A: I don't think we are in danger oflosing sight of our inspiration. In fact Ithink we are in less danger than ever.The camera allows us all to be artists andcapture special moments on film. Also,we are enjoying a renaissance of wildlifeand natural area paintings, which makesus more keenly aware of the specialvalues preserved within our national parksystem.Q: I understand that considerationhas been given to reproducing the winningart on the Golden Eagle Passport.Would you comment on this?A: I think it is an appropriate way tolet a large number of people enjoy thepainting and a worthy honor for the winner.The deepest value of the contest isits celebration of the national parks, andthis celebration accomplishes two things:first, it allows more people to see thepainting and be moved by it than wouldbe possible otherwise; second, it ties theartist's painting, and the emotional experienceit produces, into the originaltradition of arts bringing people tonatural areas—and it updates that tradition.Like John Bryant, Patti Boyd alsotook time out from an extremely busyschedule to comment on the contest.Over the past few months, she and hercolleagues have been making every effortto reach people who paint. What followsare her observations on that process.Q: Ms. Boyd, how did you and PhilNethercott first conceive of the contest?A: The timing was opportune for anidea like this. Phil and I were art dealerswho also were familiar with the FederalDuck Stamp program. Last summer,legislation concerning park fees was muchin the news. We simply developed theidea from a discussion we had about thearts community and the national parks'budget cuts. At first we planned to proposethe contest to our Wyominglegislators. However, Phil quite literallybumped into James Watt in the bank oneday. Eventually we were able to presentour proposal to him. He introduced theidea to John Bryant and Don Hodel.Subsequently, a local businessman offeredto help us financially, and we soon wereable to secure several other members ofthe Jackson business community whoagreed to guarantee the prize money andfund the national ad campaign. Thesecitizens felt that an annual Arts for theParks program would be a benefit to thetown, which is a renowned art center.Q: I noted from the contest rules thata variety of media and materials as wellas subjects are acceptable as long as theAmerican landscape is celebrated. Whatdo you hope that these criteria will produce?Why the emphasis on landscape?A: The term "American landscape" ismeant to have a broader meaning thansimply hills and trees. Landscape in thiscase refers to vistas. It encompasses thelands and life of America. We are certainlyencouraging all sorts of artists to participatein landscapes, wildlife and historypaintings. We already have received agood response from wildlife artists. Thecredentials of our judges also suggest thatthey will be looking for a variety of subjects.Arts for the Parks is a painting contestand our judges will be looking first forgood paintings. Once good work hasbeen selected, we will make certain thateach painting is an accurate portrayal ofa national park. We truly hope to end upwith a collection of 100 fabulous paintingsthat represent not only the diversityof the national parks, but a cross sectionof this country's representational artists.Q: John Bryant has made severalobservations concerning ThomasBuecher's statement. Would you care tocomment on the same quote?A: Rather than losing sight of the inspirationaround us, I think, more to thepoint, that we have forgotten to celebratesuch inspiration. I think a lot of us takefor granted the natural beauty of ourcountry. Oh, we all love our lakes andmountains and beaches, but I'm not surewe realize what a truly diverse andunique country we have. We hope thatthe Arts for the Parks contest willbecome an annual public celebration ofboth the source of inspiration and thosewho have been inspired by it.SCA promotescooperation andparksKen Nattinger"Gem8utlich" is a German word withno exact English translation. It meansfriendly, good-natured and informal, andmay best describe the summer's experienceof thirty-two German andAmerican high school volunteers whocrossed the Atlantic Ocean to carrythirty-foot stringers, revegetate trails andgrub in mudholes up to their knees. Onestudent, speaking for the entire group,described it as "fantastic, something I'llnever forget.""Conservation is a worldwideconcern," commented Scott Weaver, programdirector for the Student ConservationAssociation (SCA) that carried outthe exchange in cooperation with the NationalPark Service in both countries, theU.S. Information Agency, and the GermanMinistry For Youth, Family andHealth. For over thirty years, the SCAhas organized conservation work and environmentaleducation programs forAmerican youth, but an international exchangewas something new. "We wantedto combine volunteer work in the parkswith cultural exchange," explained Scott."Our goal was to offer students an introductionto the lifestyle and customs aswell as the resource management techniquesof another country."Building puncheon in North Cascades10 COURIER/May 1987

Let's talk moneyA SPECIAL ALERT!!!The Personnel SideTerrie FajardoThere is nothing quite so frustratingto, an employee as not receiving his orher pay check on time. Each pay period,employees throughout the Service calltheir Personnel/Administrative officesconcerning pay checks that have neverarrived.The vast majority of these calls, 98%in fact, are from employees who receivetheir pay checks at their homes or at theirlocal post offices. Charlie, the unhappyemployee who just walked in, is one ofmy 98 percent. "Why is it," he asks, "thatafter I give two weeks of hard work,NPS can't seem to get that check to meon pay day?" Well, unfortunately forCharlie, as for other NPS employees, it'sjust not that simple.All bureaus within the Department ofthe Interior, including NPS, are paidfrom a Central Payroll Office (CPO),located in Denver, Colorado. The CPO isunder the administrative authority of theBureau of Reclamation. As the centraldepository of all payroll transactions anddata, the CPO collects the timesheet informationthat has been transmitted byall the bureaus, including NPS, andworks with the Bureau of ReclamationPay/Pers Office in running the payrollthrough the Cyber computer system. Thecomputer tape of that "run" then is sentelectronically to the Treasury DepartmentRegional Office in San Francisco, California.The important point to note is thatthe Payroll Office is in Denver, but thatwe are paid from the Treasury Office inSan Francisco! It is at this point that theold saying, "all pay checks are notcreated equal," comes into practice.For those employees who have theirpay checks sent through ElectronicTransfer, Treasury sends the pay informationto the Regional Federal ReserveBanks as soon as it is received fromTreasury. Federal Reserve, in turn, sendsthe appropriate information to thevarious banks within its regions. All thisis done within two or three hours thenight before pay day. In most cases, thebanks also credit the individual accountsin time for the employees to have the useof their money on pay day.On the other hand, the employee whohas his or her pay check mailed to ahome or post office box address does notreceive the same service. For each ofthese employees, Treasury prints individualchecks and places them in theregular mail. This is done on the Mondayor Tuesday of pay week. Dependingupon where you live, it can take up tofive days for the check to reach yourmail box. And that does not take intoconsideration the disruption of a Mondayholiday or an unexpected snow storm.Even as hard as our mailcarriers work,there is no guarantee "the pay check willgo through!".Unfortunately, as for Charlie, what Ican do to assist him takes time. The payregulations state that I must wait until theMonday following pay day before I canreport the loss to payroll. After this isreported, payroll completes a SupplementalPay Schedule form and electronicallytransmits it to Treasury in San Francisco.This can take up to two days. OnceTreasury receives the request, it usuallyissues the check within 24 hours.However, "issue" means that the check isput in the regular mail. Again, dependingon where you live, it may take up to fivedays to reach your home or your office'sdesignated pay agent. You can see thatsupplemental checks are very timeconsuming.If I had known Charliewould be in this dilemma, perhaps 1could have shared with him the reasons Idecided to change to Electronic Transfermyself.When Electronic Transfer was first introduced,there were a variety of things Iconsidered before I decided to switch.The things I found to be most attractiveabout it were:1. no more waiting in long lines at thebank to deposit my check;2. no more wondering how I woulddeposit my check when I go onvacation;3. no more concern about paying billslate because my check was notreceived at my home on time;4. no more worrying and/or waitingfor a supplemental check; and5. guaranteed arrival on time, everytime!Well, 1 ordered Charlie's check. Heshould be receiving it in seven to tendays. To make sure this doesn't happento him again he's on his way to his bankwith the Standard Form 1199A "DirectDeposit Sign-up Form" I gave him. Aportion of this form must be completedby the bank and a portion by theemployee. It's important to rememberthat if you have a joint account, yourhusband or wife must sign the form also.Once completed, the form must bereturned to the Personnel Office for processing.Don't leave it with the bankbecause they are not able to process it intoour payroll systems.By next pay period, Charlie won'thave to worry about this again. His paycheck will go directly to his bank. If youare currently receiving your pay check athome or at the post office and would liketo switch to Electronic Transfer, just stopby your friendly Personnel Office and getthe Standard Form 1199A "Direct DepositSign-up Form." You and they will be gladyou did!Till next time, have a great day!!Parks to be featuredin video series"Explore America," a new home videoseries featuring some of this nation's mostscenic and frequented national parks, willenrich park visitors, the Horace AlbrightFund, and the National Park Foundation."This exciting cooperative venture,"said NPS Director William Perm Mott,Jr., "will provide in a 30-minute videovisit, a brief history of the parks, whileinforming visitors and would-be visitorsabout each site's recreational facilities.""Additionally, through visuals andnarration, the unique aspects of these nationaltreasures will be featured; whetherthey be wildlife, vegetation or geologicresources."Each "Explore America" episode willincorporate can-do tips: lodging, reservationinformation, travel times, safety andpark courtesy tips. The typical formatwill suggest two-day touring possibilities,highlighting natural and historical pointsof interest, camping availability, hikingtrails, and interpretive tours.A percentage of the gross sales will bechanneled back to the parks through theNational Park Foundation to improveresource protection and visitor services.Producers of the series plan to have theirfirst video release available during thesummer of 1987.Among the fresh concepts of the videocompany, New Ground Productions, willbe a regional approach to park travel.Rather than focus on just one NPS site,the touring cameras will link two or morelocations within a geographical spread.Unlike many filmmakers, NewGround Productions approached the Park12 COURIER/May 1987

Service with few preconceived notionsabout the storylines and site selections.Instead, they visited WASO headquartersfor extended conversations with DirectorMott. Technical advisors of the series willinclude OPA Chief George Berklacy andstaffer Leo Willette.Jim Pruitt, producer for New GroundProductions, said: "Our videos will be adeparture from others in that we areworking with the Park Service first;shooting our footage after we get themuch-welcomed input from the expertsand those with the hands-on experiencein the parks themselves."Pruitt believes one of the earliestreleases will tie together Shenandoah andGreat Smoky Mountains National Parks,via the Blue Ridge Parkway.The completed series will be aimed atthe home video markets, in popular formatsand at popular prices. "We plan tohave the 'Explore America' series pricedlow enough that the cost to the visitorfor our professionally-made productwould be less than the average personwould spend to shoot it himself," saidMaggi Simon, co-producer of NewGround Productions. New Ground anticipatessales through mail order, as wellas through park sites, concessioners, andother traditional methods.Focus On ...Change and the healthy organization: keeping an organizationhealthy means expanding the field of playKen RaithelBasketball is said to have originatedfrom a man's preoccupation with tossinga ball into a basket, a dream of play thatwas nondiscriminatory with regard to thephysical characteristics of the participants.The National Park Service issaid to have emerged from a dream conceivedby early explorers while they sataround a campfire. Similarly, their dreamwas of non-discriminatory play by peoplewho shared a common respect for theplayground.People in today's organizationsremember, if not revere, historic eventsand myths about how things came to be.These facts, myths and recorded dreamsform the foundation for present decisionmakingand action. These memories havebecome truths that shape presentorganizational culture. These beliefsmaintain the culture, yet can adverselyaffect the organization's ability to addresschanges resulting from an increasingnumber of "players" with sometimes differingopinions about how to play.We all identify with our past, thosethings we believe are important to ensuresuccess and a legacy. These sometimesromantic notions are important since theyspeak to our values. The expression ofthese same values provides strength anddirection during perpetual change in thesystem. We all see changes around us.We all recognize the expression of others'values. We are normal when we fearwhat changing attitudes mean to thevalues and traditions of our culture.I believe a healthy organizationreligiously guards the values of itsfounders, yet willingly embraces changingattitudes on how it should do business.How can this be done? How can we holdon to age-old beliefs and let go of constraining,bureaucratic armor that resistsnew interpretations of old values or injectionsof the human spirit?A Few ThoughtsThe way to achieve a healthyorganization and overcome this seeminglyimpossible conflict among what was,what should remain, what is, and whatmust be included, has something to dowith form, attitude, and grace. It has todo with reinforcing the basic principles ofthe organization and "expanding the fieldof play" to include more participants witha variety of potentially positive contributions.As dreams are perpetuated in imagesof the past, as well as images of today'spotential, so are certain assumptionsperpetuated about what will give life tothose dreams. It is the dream that is importantrather than the assumptionsabout how to achieve that dream.I began thinking about organizationalhealth, and change, after reading a shortarticle about professional basketball in anational newspaper. The article broughtattention to what could be a neworganization designed solely for athletessix feet and under. I was struck by theconcept. Although the new-found dreamwas consistent with the dreams of JamesNaismith, this dream seemed to addressrecent changes that have occurred in theestablished sport. Many of the changes,although not intended, have reduced opportunitiesfor people to participateregardless of their form, attitude, or abilityto execute the play gracefully. The article'sopening statement read: "Basketballplayers who can't always reach the rimwill now have a way to reach for thestars. . . ."These words struck me as inspirationalfor anyone wishing to be a part of thelong-standing dream of others. The neworganization was a concept that, verysimply, expanded the field of play to includethose with similar values but differentattributes. If we "expand the fieldof play" to allow for new forms, new attitudes,and new expressions of grace weare not giving up any of the underlyingvalues that originally shaped the game.We are, in fact, living out the dream inan expanded form.The Importance of FormLet me begin with form and what thatsuggests. The form of something generallyinvolves structure, as seen by thehuman eye. What we see and what wehave seen—our memories of our emotionalresponse—comprise our reaction tothat form. If our past experiences werepositive, quite naturally, our responsewill be positive. If not, then we are likelyto withdraw our approval. So it is withorganizations; they are limited by whatthey have known.Often it takes years of culture-buildingand resulting discrimination by theleadership to shape the structure believedto be appropriate. Values, economics,and political maneuvering all affect theorganizational form of things. Indeed, theform, as defined by the founders of anorganization, may or may not be suitableto withstand the changes of time.Generally the more flexible that form is,the better it tends to endure.So what does an organization's formtell us about its health? If health isdemonstrated solely by appearance, wemay be surprised to find that what lookscomfortable and familiar is not what maybe appropriate at the time. Our ability tobe comfortable with' form may be alimiting factor.We all have gawked at the unusuallytall person, assuming this individual'sCOURIER/May 1987 13

passion in life must be to play basketball.Considering only this image, and the accompanyingset of assumptions it involves,we have immediately limited ourunderstanding of the person. For in fact,the mere attribute of height (form) doesnot ensure the presence of the other importantingredients of attitude and grace,just as necessary to an athlete's success asto the health or success of an organization.The Impact of AttitudeSo let's talk about attitude and itsrelevance to the healthy organization.Like form, attitude is part of the culturebuilding process. The founders of anorganization assume there will be a consistencyof attitude over time in keepingwith their own and appropriate to theform they have chosen. But times changeand so do attitudes; resisting such changeaffects the health of the organization. Infact, changing attitudes may actually encouragehealth. As an example, basketballhas been struggling to accommodatechange. The raging debate about the acceptabilityof the three-point line exemplifiesa resistance to acknowledgingthe value contributions of "smaller' individualsin contrast to what hasdeveloped as a sport centered around the"big man." Questions arise: should thefield of play be altered7 How will this affectthe intent of the game? Allowingchanges could introduce new dimensionsof form, attitude, and grace, new dimensionsthat, curiously enough, reinforcethe original dream. The founders' dreamcan remain intact even though things appeardifferent, if the people contributewith a passion for the mission. The compensatingfactor of attitude (the passion)may make the difference.The Final IngredientWe have considered form, the appropriatenessof judging big over small.We have considered attitude, the passionor the passionlessness of doing. Manycombinations of one with the other willpromote healthy endeavors.This brings us to grace. How does itfit into the evaluation of organizationalhealth?Grace, in this sense, is demonstratedby how the work is executed. Gracefulexecutions of the will-to-work occur,given suitable form and the right attitudeor passion. A passion to achieve thedream promotes graceful executions,uniquely appropriate to the time. Gracealso has something to do with movingbeyond the practiced, the routinebehavior, and with adjusting form andattitude when a new challenge is presented.Grace comes forth so naturally it eithermay go unnoticed, or it may be acclaimedas miraculous, unbelievable. Itprovides a smooth transition from a comfortable,acceptable form to newer, moredynamic responses to change. When opportunitiesarise, the spontaneity of graceis needed to capitalize on them. As mycoach often said, "when challenged, onebad pass will lead to another; sometimesit is better to slow the play and look patientlyfor alternative solutions." In otherwords, when challenged, respond withgrace.The National Park Service, given itsrelatively clear vision of the founders' intent,is sometimes bound by a tendencyto hang onto images of past forms, pastCivil War TriviaEd BearssChief Historian, WASO1. What was the first national militarypark and when was it established?2. How many of our presidents servedin the military during the Civil War?Name them.3. Two of the men destined to holdthe nation's highest elective office servedin the same regiment. Who were they andwhat was the regiment?4. How many black soldiers wereawarded the Army's Medal of Honorduring the Civil War? Who was the firstblack soldier to be awarded the nation'shighest decoration for valor and at whatbattle was it awarded?5. Who was the highest rankingNative American soldier in the ConfederateArmy? The Union Army? Whatnations did they represent?attitudes, and concepts of what constitutes"graceful" endeavors. On theother hand, the National Park Service hasan unmatched record of excellence,because it has expressed its enduringvalues fearlessly, encouraged a passionladenattitude about achieving the organization'smission, and perpetuallydisplayed grace when grace was needed.I can only suggest that the health ofour organization rests in our willingnessto "expand the field of play." We mustexperiment with new forms for the times,examine the source of passion behind adifferent attitude, and encourage agraceful response to the differences inpeople and to changing conditions.6. In the Civil War a number ofwomen "swapped brooms for muskets"and sustained this deception for months.One of the best known of these served inthe Army of the Potomac and the otherin the Army of the Tennessee. What weretheir names prior to entering the service,their names on enlisting, and units?7. Name the Confederate general whofought with the Union forces at FirstManassas.8. Name the youngest Union battledeath, where he was killed, and his age.9. What Union regiment was knownas the Greybeards, and what was thename and age of the "oldest Yank"among them?10. Who was the oldest Confederatesoldier? What was his age?(Trivia answers on pg.46 )Oops!Apologies go to three peoplemaligned in the March Courier: toDave Orr, promoted to RegionalDirector, MARO, by a carelessproofreader; and to Bill Alford andRay Herrmann, the spelling of whosenames either lost letters or receivedextra letters that neither seems toclaim on a driver's license or otherform of identification. In addition,E&AA has learned that Robert L.Barrell ot Kailua, Hawaii 96734, hasbeen a Life Member since December1978, and therefore should have beenlisted in the November 1986 Courier.Bob & Emajoy live at 202 PauahilaniPlace in Kailua.14 COURIER/May 1987

Park BriefsPOINT REYES NS, CA—Point Reyeshas launched a three-pronged programto combat litter and encourage supportfor the National Park Service. The programinvolves reducing maintenancecosts and litter problems within backcountryareas, handled through a garbageand litter pack-in/pack-out program atits four hike-in campgrounds. The parkdeveloped printed litter bags to hand outto all campers, the text on the bags urgingeveryone to help reduce trash in theparks. The bags also convey safetymessages, management philosophies andthe Take Pride in America theme. Signswere also developed and strategicallyplaced to market the program. Part twoof the campaign involved getting parkstaff and community support throughthe organization of two clean-up days.The effort to clean up the Tomales Baybeaches proved so successful, the beachclean-ups have been planned as annualevents. The third part of the program isaimed at young visitors, junior rangers.When a junior ranger collects a bag oflitter he or she will receive a special appreciationaward. Superintendent JohnSansing believes the program hasdeveloped strong community support, inaddition to reducing maintenance costs.He believes it confirms one way inwhich interpretation can be used tosolve resource management problems.Also at the park, a new .5 millionPoint Reyes-Clem Miller EnvironmentalEducation Center is nearing completionand will be formally dedicated May 2 bythe Coastal Parks Association, the groupresponsible for the successful fundraisingeffort. Over a two-year period, theassociation raised the necessary funds tobuild the 4,600 square foot facility andfour new sleeping cabins. The buildingreplaces a World War II quonset hut usedfor more than ten years as thecenter's main facility.Don NeubacherRanger Grier Price at the Bear Valley Visitor Center explains to backcountry camper the park'santi-litter campaign.New tour road crossing Skegg's BranchWILSON'S CREEK NB, MO-After five years of planning and construction,the new five-mile tour road atthe battlefield has been completed. Thisroad is the latest step in the growth ofthe park that has included a new visitorcenter; restoration of the historic JohnA. Ray House, Ray springhouse andTelegraph Road; a prairie restorationproject to return native prairie to thepark; and an expanding intepretive programto keep pace with increasing visitation.Before the new road was built,county roads provided the only access;the new route shows more of the park,and helps make the most of the waysideexhibits and historic sites as well asrestore the nineteenth century integrityof the battlefield. It also provides increasedsecurity for the park's culturalresources by limiting the number of outsideaccess points.Harper's Ferry has produced 13 of the17 wayside exhibits, almost tripling thenumber of interpretive stops. By placingspecial waysides at both military andnon-military points on the battlefield(e.g. the Ray Farm and Gibson's Mill),the tour shows the effect of the battle onthe soldiers and on civilians caught inthe midst of a civil war. These waysidesare then augmented by several restoredhistoric structures and by an interpretiveshelter and trail on Bloody Hill.Perhaps the most significant of theserestored structures is the Ray House.Serving as a Confederate field hospitalduring the battle, it is the only housethat survived the 125 years following thewar. In 1983, a combined effort by theWilliamsport Training Center, MidwestArcheological Center, SouthwestMissouri State University, and theWilson's Creek staff returned the houseto its Civil War condition.Dirk WileyCOURIER/May 1987 15

DEATH VALLEY NM, CA-Cityfolks think it must be nice living withoutthe distractions of television andtelephones. But, for many employees inDeath Valley who live a minimum of 50miles from the nearest post office andmarket, the installation of privatetelephones and satellite television are acause for celebration."We worked together, interpreters,museum techs, law enforcement rangersand maintenance, to dig ditches and laycable," said John May, maintenanceforeman at Scottys Castle. This cooperationhelped defray NPS costs for the payTV system which went on line inSeptember 1986, and phones that wereconnected in January 1987. "This is thefirst time there is a big demand for timeoff on Super Bowl Sunday," said ScottysCastle Unit Manager, Jack Fields.An evening walk through the Grapevinehousing area now reveals the dimglow of a TV screen in most homes. Ifforced to make a choice, however, mostresidents would say the best improvementhas been the telephones.Even with the NPS laying the cable inthe residential area and three miles to theCastle, Pacific Bell labored over a fivemonthperiod to replace the old radiolinktoll stations with a million dollardigital microwave phone system. "Youcan no longer park near the pay phone atthe Grapevine Ranger Station and listento phone calls on the car radio," said anarea resident. Gone are the times ofwaiting for a clear line, blowing into thereceiver, taking five or ten minutes forthe operator to place your call. NorthernDeath Valley employees get connected.Death Valley has entered the world oftouch tone, redial and memory. "Thiswill be a big help with emergency calls,"said Grapevine District Ranger MaggieJohnston.No longer will we have to explain torelatives how to call such numbers as"Emigrant Pass §1," "Grapevine #2," or"Scottys Castle #1." "Someday we willlook back on this era with nostalgia,"mused Sue Buchel, museum curator, "butnot just yet!" So if you lost touch withsomeone working in Death Valley, just"reach out," give us a call, and we mayinvite you over to watch TV.Maggie JohnstonZION NP, UT—For some Boy Scoutgroups coming to Zion, "being prepared"has not always been an appropriatemotto. So when Ranger Paul Kirkland, alife-long scout leader, transferred to Zionin 1983, he set to work to improve thesituation. Working with local and districtscout personnel, Kirkland improved onthe information that troops and theirleaders needed to have for safe, minimumimpact camping. The campaign took offwhen Kirkland was invited to the UtahNational Parks Council of the Boy Scoutsof America. Now it has grown into anoutreach interpretation/protection programthat involves other park units onthe Colorado plateau. "Potentiallythousands of scouts will be contactedthrough this outreach program," accordingto Assistant Superintendent JimBrady. 'This is a fine example of usinginterpretation to resolve a substantialvisitor protection concern."FORT DONELSON NMP, TN-Onehundred and twenty-five years ago thismonth, the Civil War took on new meaningwith the fall of Confederate-held FortDonelson. In mid-winter 1862, Northernand Southern armies clashed for the controlof the 15-acre fort and the strategicallyimportant Cumberland River. Then,on February 16th, the "UnconditionalSurrender" of the Confederate fortificationsto an obscure general namedUlysses Grant marked the first step in theUnion's plan to split the Confederacy.The staff of Fort Donelson commemoratedthe 125th anniversary of thishistoric battle with reenactment programs,amateur radio operator broadcastsof the anniversary weekend, a photographicexhibit entitled "Civil War Impressions",and a commemorative firstday issue cachet envelope offered throughEastern National Park & MonumentAssociation.BIG CYPRESS NPre, FL-The NPS isinviting public comments on options formanaging the 570,000-acre preserve insouth Florida. A brochure outliningmanagement alternatives has beenmailed to more than 6,000 sportsmen,conservationists, and interested citizens,according to Superintendent FredFagergren. "The Park Service is notrecommending any particular alternativeat this stage," Fagergren said. "We simplyhave described the various optionsavailable within the limits of the 1974law that added the preserve to the nationalpark system. After we haveanalyzed the public comments, we willissue a draft general management planfor the preserve, probably nextsummer." The brochure listing managementoptions is the latest step in a planningprocess that began in 1985 whenthe NPS conducted public workshops inthe area.16 COURIER/May 1987

JEAN LAFITTE NHP, LA—While apot of chicken-audouille gumbo simmerednearby, the Barataria Visitor Center wasofficially dedicated. Under a blue sky,Louisiana Senator J. Bennett Johnson,author of the enabling legislation, praisedthe efforts of citizens, conservationgroups, and the Service in the establishmentof the Barataria Unit.WILSON'S CREEK NB, MO—Mostvisitors to the park arrive by some typeof motor vehicle. Not so Major GeneralJames W. van Loben Sels, commander ofFort Leonard Wood. He arrived by Armyhelicopter. In the year prior to thegeneral's visit, several officer groups fromthe fort used Wilson's Creek as an outdoorclassroom to study strategy andlinear tactics from the Civil War. Thepopularity of the program prompted thegeneral's participation. "The strategicaltactics, the principles of war . . . reallydon't change," van Lobel Sels said. Asword about the program has spread,other military groups have expressed interestin the Wilson's Creek program.Richard W. Hatcher IIIDSC—Bob Barbee, John Cook, MikeFinley, Bill Briggle, and Jerry Rogers haveagreed to work with DSC management inorder to improve the effectiveness of theService's planning, design, and constructionprogram. Specifically, the group willfocus on what DSC can do to improveservices to parks and regions, and whatregions and parks can do to make theprogram run more smoothly.SPRINGFIELD ARMORY NHS,MA—After a long historical detour, twounits of the NPS have restored a timehonoredhistorical relationship. In 1794Congress established armories at Springfield,MA, and Harpers Ferry, WV, tomanufacture arms for the young nation.In subsequent years the two armoriesengaged in a (usually) friendly rivalry tosee which could produce the bestweapons at the lowest cost. This relationshipwas interrupted when the HarpersFerry armory was destroyed at the beginningof the Civil War. The Massachusettsfacility continued developing and producingweapons until 1968. Ten years later itjoined Harpers Ferry as a unit of theNPS, bringing the two sites under a commonadministration for the first time inmore than a century.These historical ties were renewed onFebruary 21, 1987 when SpringfieldArmory NHS collaborated with twoneighboring historical organizations, theConnecticut Valley Historical Museumand the Springfield City Library, to presentan all-day program on "John Brownand the Springfield Community." Thedate and subject emphasized BlackHistory Month, and covered Brown's lifein Springfield before the Harpers Ferryraid. This time the typical 19th-centuryflow of expertise from north to south wasreversed, and Dennis Frye, historian atHarpers Ferry NHP, traveled to Springfieldto present a stimulating talk onBrown. Later in the day, he introducedthe NPS film on the raid, 'To Do Battlein the Land." In the afternoon he joinedSpringfield Armory historian LarryLowenthal and others in a lively paneldiscussion, bringing to a successful closethe latest chapter of cooperation betweentwo sites whose past had been so closelyintertwined.Larry LowenthalCOLONIAL NHP, VA — A ranger at the park recreates a scene from yesteryear.The uniform and vehicle have changed, but the firefighting equipment remains thesame.COURIER/May 1987 17

Sleeping Bear Dunes NL headquartersWilliam Bonsall (Independence) in the processof tack-pointing (forcing mortar into thebrick for a water-tight seal). Photo by A.MyersCOLONIAL NHP, VA—It is generallyrecognized that people retain about10% of what they hear, 30% of whatthey read, 50% of what they see, and90% of what they do. Based on this axiom,Colonial NHP recently presented acourse on historical preservationmasonry techniques for Mid-AtlanticRegion maintenance employees at theYorktown National Cemetery. The100-plus year old cemetery wall neededrepair, and in three one-week sessions,workers learned techniques of historicmasonry by restoring a portion of thewall to its original appearance. Thecourse was designed and instructed byColonial maintenance mechanic foremanJim Hauver, who has extensive experiencewith masonry. Over 90% of thecourse was hands-on. Session objectivesincluded experience in developing theproper mortar mix to match historic ingredients,identifying brick bonding patterns,properly using the tools of thetrade, preparing mortar joints to be repointed,learning to lay brick to a line,and constructing brick piers. Hauvernoted that the course was especiallygratifying for the participants because ofthe hands-on training method used."It's better than classwork," commentedJoe Burrell, a maintenanceworker from Richmond NBP. "Workingwith old brick is a lot different from layingnew brick. The line-up is differentand you need a different mortar mix. Byworking with the old brick on thecemetery wall, I got the feel of it andlearned how to do it right."Ann MeyersSLEEPING BEAR DUNES NL,MI—After 16 years in Frankfort, MI,park headquarters has been moved to anew building in Empire, MI. The lakeshore'sGeneral Management Plan, completedin 1979, called for the 22-milemove to Empire, a central location withinPeirce MillROCK CREEK PARK, DC—As theweather turns pleasant, Pierce Mill offersvisitors an opportunity to exercise alltheir senses. The turning and splashing ofthe waterwheel alongside the three-storygranite rubble building takes the visitorback in time. Inside, the gentle hum islost by the grinding of the millstones,clattering of the damsel, and rattling ofthe sifter boxes. The miller instructsvisitors to feel the meal by rubbing itgently between their fingers and compareit to the bleached, fortified, enrichedpastry flours of today. What are the differencesin flour color, texture, aroma,and taste? Visit the old mill and play themiller to sense its secrets and learn theways of the past.the lakeshore for park visitors and amore efficient base of operations for parkstaff. The new visitor center doubles thesize of the old, and eventually will containnew exhibits, already partially fundedfrom private Michigan foundations.Dave HerreraWASO, DC—In 1987, the CuratorialServices Branch is introducing theAutomated National Catalog System(ANCS) to accession and catalog NPSmuseum collections. This is the firststandardized microcomputer system tobe used in all NPS regions. The ANCSautomates the revised and streamlinedmanual cataloging system that was implementedin 1984. It has a cultural componentthat will be used to catalog collectionsthat include history, archives,fine arts, archeology and ethnology, anda natural history component to catalogbiology, geology, and paleontologyspecimens. Field-generated data such asfield notes, photographs and media filesare accommodated in the system. Datain the ANCS has the future potential tolink with other NPS inventories, such asNP Flora, the Integrated Pest Managementmodule of the NPS COMMON,the Servicewide park-based managementinformation database, List of ClassifiedStructures (LCS), and the proposedCultural Sites Inventory (CSI). In orderto obtain the ANCS software and theaccompanying User Manual, parks mustsubmit, through the regional curator, acompleted ANCS Software Request/Registration Form. The forms areavailable from regional curators. TheCuratorial Services Branch will issue theANCS program software at no cost tothe park and will provide, through theregional ADP coordinators, system supportto NPS users. Parks will need to acquire,on their own, the necessary hardwareand dBase III Plus software to runto ANCS program.18 COURIER/May 1987

JEAN LAFITTE NHP, LA—OnJanuary 8, 1815, Major-General AndrewJackson stood together with his troopsbehind an earth and wooden rampart,constructed along the Rodriquez Canal.Here, they would make their standagainst the British onslaught and try tokeep them from entering the City of NewOrleans. As the line waited and watched,the British troops advanced across theopen sugar cane field on the plains ofChalmette. The cold and foggy weatherwas not enough cover for the British invasion,and in an early morning battle,the victory for the U.S. was decided.The plains of Chalmet saw yet anotherinvasion, 172 years later, as 8,000 visitorsbraved the cool temperatures to see theBattle of New Orleans observance. Inpreparation for the anniversary, JeanLafitte NHP (Chalmette Unit) staff sentout invitations and coordinated withvolunteers around the country.A total of 31 schools also responded,with just over 2,000 students. Throughoutthe weekend, a 15-Star Flag, on loanfrom Fort McHenry, flew over the battlefield.On the last day, in a specialceremony, the various units gathered toretire the Colors and march off the field,bringing the Battle for New Orleans Anniversaryto a close for yet another year.Tammy BensonNARO—Tower Mountain Lodge inthe western Berkshires provided a retreatfor the first meetings of the newResource Management Skills Team(RMST). A group of park and regionaloffice staff gathered in this rural settingto begin forging themselves into a teamof instructors and coordinators for theresource management training needs ofthe North Atlantic Region. The team isthe actualization of an idea that beganmore than three years ago. In 1983,Nora Mitchell, regional resourcemanagement specialist, attended a classat Mather Training Center where theideas for regional skills teams werepresented by course coordinator MichaelWatson. "Since that time there havebeen Interpretive Skills Teams (1ST)formed, but, to my knowledge, this isthe first Resource Management SkillsTeam in the National Park Service," saidMitchell.The team worked hard to develop anagenda for fiscal years 1987 and 1988, aswell as to design the basic elements ofseveral classes planned for this year. Forexample, a segment on resource managementskills is being developed for lawenforcement refreshers, since the teamhopes to encourage the long tradition ofresource management activities by thegeneralist ranger. In February the RMSTco-sponsored a servicewide trainingclass, with WASO, on Historic OrchardManagement.The members of the NAR team havea variety of backgrounds, includingnatural resources, cultural resources,visitor protection, maintenance, administration,and interpretation. Teammembership accurately reflects the interdisciplinarynature of most park resourcemanagement programs. It is animportant goal of this team to illustratethe paramount importance of resourcemanagement as the charge of every NPSemployee. For more information contactNora Mitchell, NARO; or Jim Gott,Superintendent, Saugus Iron WorksNHS.John DonahueCATOCTIN MOUNTAIN PARK,MD—Often we think of establishing fieldresearch plots far away from public useareas to keep them undisturbed. This wasnot possible at Catoctin in dealing withour experimental attempts to restoreblighted American Chestnut trees. Thebest specimens are located adjacent to amajor picnic area.Resource Manager Paul Strider andPark Naturalist Jim Voigt developed thestudy area so that it serves as a selfguidinginterpretive exhibit, communicatingto the public the chestnut restorationprogram. The perimeter of the 1/2 acrestudy area has been marked with a wirefence, having two entrances to allowvisitor access along an old trail butdiminish visitor compaction in the studyarea.EVERGLADES NP, FL—"Take Pridein America": that's what more than 250residents of south Horida did during theEverglades/Big Cypress clean-up day.Help came from all sides. Schools held acontest to design a publicity poster. Areamerchants donated soft drinks. Localresidents baked cookies. County roadcommissions provided dumpsters andtrash trucks to haul away the debris.Local banks purchased plaques torecognize the weirdest, the most useful,and the largest volume of trash collectedin a team effort. As a result, the old looproad, free of the blight of trash, looksnatural, clean, and inviting. As for theawards . . . The most energetic teamaward went to the group that collected168 large trash bags of litter in theirassigned one-mile section. The most reusablelitter was determined to be adollar bill, which many tried to claim,but none could positively identify. Andthe award for the weirdest trash went toa 4-foot tall, wet and dirty stuffedbanana pillow with a lopsided smile.Dave KronkA sign of distinctionSAGUARO NM, AZ—Volunteers atSaguaro National Monument have recentlyfound a way to increase theirvisibility. They have developed amagnetic sign in the shape of a largeNPS Volunteer patch. The sign can thenbe temporarily affixed to a volunteer'sprivate vehicle for use as needed at interpretivestations and trailheads. Thesign identifies the driver of this vehicleas a knowledgeable and qualified parkspokesperson. Locally made in Tucson,the cost of four signs was less than $150.Gregory GnesiosWASO—Director Mott and Bureau ofLand Management Director Bob Burfordhave signed an agreement to coordinateplanning and other programs, an agreementhailed as an important step forwardin the promotion of park protection. Theagreement pledges both agencies to consultwith each other early in the planningprocess, consider potential impacts ofdecisions on neighboring lands, cooperatein resource management, and assist eachother in providing visitor services. Theagreement also encourages steps to anticipate,avoid, and resolve potential conflictsin agency plans, operations, andprotection strategies as well as developmentdecisions.Director Mott has asked regionaldirectors, superintendents, and WASOdivisions to develop more detailedagreements as necessary to addressspecific issues such as mineral leasing,archeological resources, grazing, backcountryuse, and air or water quality. Atthe Washington level, Deputy DirectorGalvin will continue to meet periodicallywith BLM Deputy Director Dave O'Nealto monitor implementation of the agreement.For further information, contactWarren Brown or Cynthia deFranceaux inthe WASO Division of Park Planningand Special Studies (343-9377).COURIER/May 1987 19

NPS PeopleEd Davis, Associate Director, Policy,Budget, Administration"I have dedicated my entire career toenhancing the programs I serve throughgood administrative management. I standbehind the rules set up by Congress andOPM to govern federal agencies and I intendto continue to use them to accomplishpositive things for the people Iserve."NPS employeeis energetic VIPManny StrumpfManhattan SitesEd DavisEd Davis is a very open man doing avery tough job—tough in the sense thatthe administration of any organization isalways tough, because it is the activitythat most directly affects every employee.Yet, coming to the National Park Servicelast October, after 5Vi years as the AssistantDirector, Administration, for Fishand Wildlife, Davis brings with him aphilosophy of openness toward those heserves and an in-depth knowledge of thepersonnel issues employees face. As heexplains it, there is no one he doesn'thave time for."The only difference between me andemployees in the field is that if I don't getmy check, I know who to talk to," hesays. "They don't. So I want them toknow I'm a friend of the field and that Ihave an open door and an opentelephone policy. My goal is to reduceemployee problems. I want to serve theorganization and its employees, to makesure people are paid on time, that theirjobs are properly classified, that vendorsare paid, contracts let properly, and servicegiven."Davis seems particularly skilled at allthese things. While employed by Fish andWildlife he supervised activities similar tothose he handles now. So the transitionbetween the two organizations has been arelatively easy one for him."It's not like moving from one departmentto another," he says. 'There are alot of similarities between Fish andWildlife and the National Park Service.They are both land managing agenciesconcerned with the welfare of endangeredspecies, among other things. And ofcourse I still work with some of the samepeople I worked with in Fish andWildlife, so I feel at home in the NationalPark Service."Of course there also are a few differencesbetween the two agencies, differencesthat Davis feels have helped himgrow and will enable him to continue •growing as a manager. "When you're exposedto one administrative area foryears and then begin working for a neworganization, that opportunity lets youtake the good of the old and put it withthe good of the new, and ultimately, Ihope, become better at the job you're tryingto accomplish."After nearly thirty years of governmentservice, the opportunity to work inthe National Park Service is a tremendousone, according to Davis. He appreciatesthe loyality and dedication NPS peopleexhibit when solving what he calls peopleproblems, their willingness to deal constructivelywith the needs of the parkvisitors as well as the needs of agencyemployees.Cathy Thurber as a VIP at Oxon Hill FarmWhat motivates a full-time employeeat Gateway NRA to travel 300 milesevery few weeks in order to volunteer ata Park Service site in Maryland? ForCathy Thurber, it's love."My association with the Park Serviceas a volunteer pre-dates my employment.I became a volunteer at Oxon HillFarm in 1981 and immediately fell in lovewith the park and the Service," Cathy explains.Born and raised in California, Thurberbecame a full-time employee of the ParkService in 1985 and was assigned to Malloperations. She later became lead parkranger at the Lincoln and VietnamMemorials while continuing to be a VIP20 COURIER/May 1987

at area sites, among them the Oxon HillFarm. It was at the farm that she firstmet Jon Cika. When he transferred toGateway, she did too."New York did not inhibit my style. Ivolunteered to provide interpretive programsas well as arts and craftsdemonstrations," she says.Appropriately enough, she and Jonplan to be married this June in the appleorchard at Oxon Hill Farm. The attirewill be cotton dresses and overalls. Therewill be fiddle music and early Americantraditional square dancing in keeping withthe park's turn-of-the century farmtheme.Thurber says she and Jon hope to stayin the Park Service and to travel to differentpark areas. They also hope to extendtheir love of the outdoors to others."I firmly believe that every person canmake a difference. If we each do a littleto preserve our natural areas, the worldcan be a better place."Marie Williams, helping the NPS employeeEditor's Note: The Personnel Officeand what it does have always been a bitmysterious for the employees of anyorganization. In order to dispel some ofthat mystery, Rosa Wilson, Public Affairs,WASO, interviewed one of thewomen responsible for solving the problemsof NPS employees.Q. Prior to joining the National ParkService, what kind of work did you do?A. My first government job was thatof a clerk-typist with the Office of PersonnelManagement, formerly the CivilService Commission. During my stay atOPM, I was promoted to staffing assistantand worked the mid-level RegisterDesk for several years, prior to joiningthe personnel office of the Department ofthe Interior as a personnel clerk.Q. Is this something that you havealways wanted to do7A. Employee Relations, per se, wasnot always a career goal. Originally Iwanted to be a social worker or join thePeace Corps in any position where Icould assist people. I suppose, in a broadsense, my current position meets myoriginal career goals.Q. So you left the job you held withInterior to apply for your present job?A. No. My first position with theService was as a Supervisory PersonnelAssistant in the Personnel OperationsBranch, Processing Unit. In February1977, I was selected for my present position.Q. What have your responsibilitiesbeen since then?A. I administer the Employee RelationsProgram for headquarters. The programencompasses employee benefits,workers compensation, the employeecounseling services program, advice tomanagement on a wide range of issues,incentive awards and special interesthealth programs.Q. Do your counseling abilities comefrom on-the-job training, or has therebeen some professional training involved?A. My experience has evolved fromthe job and from a variety of trainingcourses. The counseling that I do on aday-to-day basis usually involvesmediating between supervisor andemployee. Personal counseling rangesfrom providing a listening ear, to helpingemployees sort through their problems, tomaking referrals to certified alcohol/drugabuse or psychiatric counseling.Q. I would like to talk a little aboutthe places you refer employees to and thenumber of employees that come to youfor referral or counseling?A. I evaluate each case individually.Depending on the problem, I may recommendthat the employee seek professionalcounseling by a licensed psychiatrist,medical doctor, or community resourcespecialist. It takes experience to knowwhen you are not the person that shouldbe assisting the employee—when thatemployee may need referral to apsychistrist, or perhaps, when you needto talk to members of the family as well.Most importantly, counseling involveslistening and being available so thatemployee problems can be talkedthrough.Q. I remember when I needed to talkto someone in Personnel, but didn't knowwho to contact, you were recommended.We talked and I came away feeling relaxedand confident as a result. Marie, Ibet that most or all of the employees whohave come to you feel as I did. Do youget this kind of feedback from them?A. I have received a lot of positiveresponses from employees I have assisted.I think getting such results takes a combinationof experience, and training. Italso means telling employees what theydon't want to hear sometimes.Q. I would also like to discuss someof your other programs. For example,how do you determine who gets anaward?A. We have an incentive awards committeethat evaluates nominations submittedby supervisors. The committee'sdetermination is based on Office of PersonnelManagement and departmentalMarie Williamsguidelines. Usually the nominations arethe result of sustained superior performanceor work on special projects.Q. You indicated at the beginning ofour interview that you are also responsiblefor employee benefits, worker's compensation,and special health interest programs.Would you summarize what youconsider some of your other special accomplishments?A. I developed the employee orientationkit that is currently being used; Ialso developed a retirement informationkit and have redesigned a variety offorms that are used in the Personnel Office.Q. It seems as though your work iscut out for you and you are enjoying itevery step of the way. Will you continuewith what you are doing now until retirementor do you ultimately see yourselfone day venturing more towards socialwork?A. I would like to become more involvedwith counseling. I have no plansto become a professional social workerbut I will always provide advice and alistening ear whenever I can, during mypersonal time as well as on the job.Counseling will always be a part of mylife and one of the most important servicesI can provide for people.COURIER/May 1987 21

NPS PeopleRichard H. Maeder, veteran parkmanager, has been named the tenthsuperintendent of Virgin Islands NP. Duringhis career, Maeder has served in avariety of park assignments as well as inthe regional offices located in San Franciscoand Philadelphia. In the mid 1960s,he chaired a special task force to developa National Park System Plan to identifypotential additions to the system. He is arecipient of the Department of the Interior'sMeritorious Service Award, andcomes to Virgin Islands NP from ColonialNHP where he served since 1981.Dr. F. Eugene Hester has been appointedNPS Associate Director forNatural Resources. He brings to the Servicemany years of research, research administration,and management experience.Before joining the NPS, Hester served asthe Deputy Director of the Fish andWildlife Service. He also has been theAssociate Director for Research, the Chiefof the Division of Fishery Research, andthe leader of the North Carolina CooperativeFishery Research Unit for theFish and Wildlife Service. During hiscareer, Dr. Hester has received numerousawards, including the Department of theInterior Meritorious Service Award and aPresidential Distinguished Rank Award.He has been a wildlife photographer for25 years, and many of his photos havebeen published in and on the covers ofmagazines.Ed Carlin, special asssistant to SouthwestRegional Director John Cook, hasbeen selected as the new associateregional director for administration in theMidwest Regional Office. A native ofPhiladelphia, he replaces Jim Ryan whoretired in January.David L. Moffitt, who served as thesuperintendent of Statue of Liberty/EllisIsland NM through the celebration of itscentennial, has been appointed as thesuperintendent of Colonial NHP. Heplayed a key role in planning the firstmajor restoration of the famous statue inNew York harbor, a rehabilitation accomplishedthrough $75 million in privatecontributions.Robert Griego of Rocky Mountain NPhas been selected as the administrative officerfor Sequoia and Kings Canyon NPs.A sixteen-year NPS careerist, he hasserved in Mount Rainier NP, BighornCanyon NRA, and Pinnacles NM in additionto a two-year assignment with theDepartment of Wildlife, National Parksand Tourism, in Botswana, Africa.Daniel T. BrownJohn (Jack) A. Hauptman,superintendent of Fire Island NS since1982, has been selected as thesuperintendent of Acadia NP. "JackHauptman brings to the job more than20 years of experience in environmentalconservation, outdoor recreation andnatural resource management," statedRegional Director Herbert S. Cables, Jr."Clearly, Acadia's new superintedent hasthe credentials to implement thelegislative challenges now facing thepark." During his five years at FireIsland, Hauptman initiated, promoted,and implemented policies addressing sensitiveland use issues affecting the 3,700private property owners within thepolitical jurisdictions of two townships,two villages, and 17 communities.Joseph Kennedy, superintendent ofDinosaur NM, has been appointedsuperintendent of New River Gorge NR.He succeeds James Carrico, nowsuperintendent of Big Bend NP. SaidJames W. Coleman, Jr., Mid-AtlanticRegional Director, "We are fortunate tohave someone of Joe Kennedy's experiencein managing river rafting and indeveloping new park areas."William J. Pierce, most recentlyassistant chief ranger at Shenandoah NP,has been appointed superintendent ofDevils Tower NM. Pierce says he looksforward to working with park staff andneighboring communities.Also on the move is David E. McGinnis,chief naturalist of Badlands NP,who has been appointed superintendentof Fossil Butte NM. The first parkDr. Hestersuperintendency for the 39-year-oldMcGinnis, he succeeds Paul Guraedy,now superintendent of Arches NP.Donald C. Hill has joined Bent's OldFort NHS as its new superintendent. Hesucceeds Derek Hambly, who retired lastSeptember. "I think Bent's Old Fort is afantastic resource," said Hill. "I look forwardto working with the staff and thecommunity and continuing the goodworks already begun."Kevin Buckley, acting superintendentof Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island NationalMonument, has announced the appointmentof Daniel T. Brown as supervisoryranger for interpretation at Ellis Island.In his new capacity, Brown will becreating new programs in preparationfor the re-opening of Ellis Island to thegeneral public in 1989. He will workwith various ethnic groups inmetropolitan New York, including theCaribbean community, on developmentof outreach programs and exhibitsrelated to immigration.Charles H. Odegaard, MidwestRegional Director, has been appointedRegional Director for the Pacific Northwest.The move will be a return homefor Odegaard, who served as deputy regionaldirector for the Pacific Northwestprior to his three years in the MidwestRegion. Don H. Castleberry, now Mid-Atlantic's deputy regional director, willreplace Odegaard as the new MidwestRD. The much-traveled Castleberry haslived in 16 states and four countries, andhas had NPS assignments in six of theagency's 10 regions.22 COURIER/May 1987

AwardsHunterSavageZION NP received Utah's GoldenKey Award as the employer of the yearin the governmental category by theGovernor's Committee on Employmentfor the Handicapped. Park AdministrativeOfficer Cassy Ann Black acceptedthe award at ceremonies in Salt LakeCity. Thanks to her extensive outreachprogram, Zion's staff of ninety this yearincluded eleven permanent and seasonalhandicapped employees. SuperintendentBill Herr of Pipe Spring NM, and formerCedar Breaks NM superintendent ClayAlderson also provided handicappedemployment during 1985 in conjunctionwith the state outreach servicesJohn E. Hunter, Midwest RegionalCurator since 1972, has received theMeritorious Service Award. Hunterserved with distinction while "responsiblefor providing professional curatorialassistance and leadership to all nationalparks in the entire 10-state MidwestRegion," said Secretary of the InteriorDonald P. Hodel. This has been done,Hodel said, by Hunter's willingness toshare his expertise, invent innovativemethods and record forms to assist fieldcurators, and present training at formalworkshops. Hunter has written numerousarticles and booklets and has servedon several professional committees forthe advancement of curatorialtechnology. He has lectured before internationalgroups at the Smithsonian inWashington, DC, and in Victoria,British Columbia, Canada. "Hunter'sprofessionalism and inexhaustible energyare frequently applauded by the parks,agencies, societies, and by the fellowcurators he serves," Hodel commended.Doug Pratt, maintenance work leaderat Herbert Hoover NHS, received a Certificateof Recognition for his significantaccomplishments in human resourcesmanagement. Said Superintendent MacBerg, "I am very pleased that Doug hasreceived well-deserved recognition for allhe has done on behalf of those whowork with him."Terry W. Savage, NAR Chief ofPlanning and Design, has been elected toa two-year term as president of theBoston Society of Landscape Architects,which covers the four northern NewEngland states. Savage, who is on theHarvard Graduate School of Designfaculty as a visiting critic in landscapearchitecture, also was recently appointeda director of the American Society ofLandscape Architects Professional PracticeInstitute in Washington, DC. In thiscapacity, he represents some 10,000publicly employed landscape architectsacross the nation. NPS projects thatSavage has been associated with includethe study leading to the designation ofGolden Gate NRA and the Master Planstudies for parks such as Lake MeadNRA and Zion NP."Go West Young Man, Go West":many have been tempted by thesefamous words of Horace Greeley, and soit was with Chris Moore who departedMoreland, Kentucky, in August 1984 toexperience the "Wild West." His destination—CanyonlandsNational Park inSoutheast Utah. Full of enthusiasmabout his first trip west, Chris alsofound himself apprehensive and excitedat the thought of the Student ConservationAssociation position awaiting his arrival.It would be an eight week assignmentand he would even have a place tolive in the park. Regarded as a "tophand" by his supervisor, Chris workedactively in desert bighorn counts,revegetation projects, building of boundaryfences and manning the visitor informationcenter, his pride and joy.Then it happened—Chris found outabout the Volunteer-in-Parks Program,and, as of December 1986, he has goneover the one year mark (2,080 hours) fortime volunteered to Canyonlands NationalPark. In a recent awardsceremony he was presented a handmadeplaque from his peers and a certificatesigned by Director Mott and ParkSuperintendent Pete Parry. It is withsincere appreciation that the Canyonlandsstaff thanks Chris Moore, themany dedicated volunteers of the nationalpark system, and, of course,Horace Greeley for his tempting advice.The Mid-Atlantic Region recentlypresented James Roane of Roane ConstructionCompany with a Business andEconomic Development Program Citationof Merit for his company's dedication tohigh quality service through contracting.The Roane Construction Companyrepresented the region in its quest for the1986 NPS minority Entrepreneur of theYear Award. Roane and his companyhave continuously provided ShenandoahNP with outstanding work and cooperationon a variety of projects.Leslie Fugedy, MARO civil engineer,was chosen NPS Engineer of the Year for1986. As the dam safety officer for theregion, he supervised draining a nine-acrelake at Petersburg NB, transferring thefish to other lakes and rivers, removing a450-foot-long earthen dam and clearingthe stream that flowed through the area.During the year, he also designed and installedwater and sewer systems at twoparks—New River Gorge NR and ValleyForge NHP. At Valley Forge the job includedlaying out walking trails so as tohave little or no impact on the artifactspossibly buried beneath them.Superintendent Ken Apschnikatpresented Special Achievement awards tosix Mound City employees for their workin 1986. Recognized were Chief of Interpretationand Resources ManagementJerry Chilton, maintenance workersDavid Dere and Phil Egan, Foreman JerroldNapier, administrative technicianBonnie Murray, and park secretary LisaWhite. Of the recipients, Apschnikatsaid, "Performance such as this . . . contributessignificantly to our work atMound City and demonstrates the commitmentof our employees to the visitorswe serve every day."Timothy J. Priehs, Executive Directorof Southwest Parks and MonumentsAssociation, recently presented the EdwardB. Danson Distinguished AssociateAward to Luis A. Gastellum in recognitionof his outstanding contributions tothe association. Gastellum was involvedas far back as the association's first annualreport, and continues as a memberof the Board of Directors. He joined theNPS in 1935 as clerk-stenographer withBoss Pinkley's Southwestern NationalMonuments at Cooliage, AZ, advancingto positions as varied as assistant personnelofficer, associate superintendent,deputy director for administration andchief of the Office of Operations Evaluation.Awarded the Department of the Interior'sDistinguished Service Award in1968, he and his wife, Agatha, reside at2302 Oak Park Drive, Tucson, AZ 85710,and are life members of E&AA.Other awards presented by the Boardof Directors of Southwest Parks andMonuments Association went to Dr.Robert and Florence Lister, honoring theircontributions to public understanding ofthe cultural resources of the parks; toCOURIER/May 1987 23

Connie Neilson, Curecanti NRA, for hercontributions at the information desk andthe park computer, assisting interpretivepersonnel; to Mary L. Williams, a parkranger-historian at Fort Davis NHS; andto Superintendent Glen E. Henderson, acceptingfor Montezuma Castle NM, anarea that has made innovative changesand improvements in association operations.Shortly before their parents departedfor Devils Tower NM where Bill Piercewill serve as the new superintendent, Sethand Sean Pierce received the Boy Scouts'highest honor, the rank of Eagle, duringceremonies at Luray. The Pierce familyhas been stationed at Shenandoah NPsince May 1983, where Bill worked asassistant chief park ranger. The parkwishes to express their pride in the Piercefamily and the contributions they havemade to the Service as well as the localcommunity.Director Mott gave the graduation addressto 25 seasonal rangers, upon theircompletion of the 53rd session of theRanger Academy at the Santa RosaCriminal Justice Training Center, Santa• Rosa, CA. The Academic AchievementAward for this session went to LeeTaylor, the Top Gun Award to KerryCarlson, and the Defensive TacticsAward to Lewis Goldman. The RangerAcademy is in its tenth year, having beenstarted March 1978 by Bill Orr, ChiefRanger, WRO, and having graduated1,252 students to date. Bill is the WesternRegion's alumni representative on theE&AA Board and a life member of thatassociation.Eit&M news and notes• Fantastic donation—The EducationTrust Fund administered by theEmployees and Alumni Associationreceived a fantastic donation from theCape Cod National SeashoreWomen's Club, a check in theamount of $6,000, bringing their totaldonation to the Trust Fund to $20,000from the sale of their cookbook, "TheSeashore Sampler." This grassrootsoperation began more than ten yearsago with craft, rummage and othersales, plus hours of editing, typing,duplicating and collating as the firstbooks were printed by the womenthemselves. After the sale of the firstgroup of books, the women hadenough money to have the otherbooks printed and they are now intheir seventh printing. For a greatcookbook at the very low price of $3,send your check or money order to:Cape Code National SeashoreWomen's Club, c/o Mrs. DorotheaStevens, Box 136, Eastham, MA02642.• Raffle a success—The raffle conductedat the Midwest Region Superintendents'Conference in St. Louisgenerated $2,750 for the E&AA EducationTrust Fund. Prizes ranged frombooks to a week-long riverboat cruiseon the Mississippi River. A total of3,372 tickets were sold during the fundraisingeffort.• Emergency—E&AA received a callfrom Yvonne Schmidt of SuperiorNational Forest asking for volunteersfor approximately 20 ResortNaturalist positions this summer. Thepositions are located throughout theForest Service. Anyone, alumni,children, and friends of the ParkService, please contact Yvonne atSuperior National Forest, P.O. Box1085, Cook, MN 55723(218-666-5251). Although the call isfor volunteers, all resorts provideroom and board; some resorts alsoprovide a small stipend. Hirings willbegin on May 29, 1987.• Alumni reunion memories—AlthoughYosemite National Park is famous forits vast scenic wildlands, its groves ofGiant Sequoias, and Yosemite Valley,it is also famous for its annual alumnireunions. In telling E&AA of pastgatherings at Yosemite, Helen Dotyremembers the third annual alumnireunion, held Sunday, September 23,1983:While the dew was still on the lushgreen grass of the lovely old WawonaHotel, people started gathering for theday's activities: registration, golfing,visiting and enjoying a barbecue. Thejoy of being together was everywherewith happy cries of recognition, handshaking,backslapping, and a fairamount of hugging going on. Lively conversationsranged from the pursuit ofhobbies, volunteer work, news ofmutual friends, children and grandchildren—lots of proud parents andgrandparents had plenty of snapshots topass around. Under a beautiful sunnysky a delicious buffet barbecue wasserved, catered by the Wawona Hotelstaff. Then Superintendent Bob Binnewiestook this opportunity to presentBill Kirk, former signmaker, with aspecial award (Bill designed and executedthe metal trail signs usedthroughout the high country). Too soonit was time to depart and reluctantlypeople began to drift away in smallgroups with words of praise for awonderful reunion and promises madeto meet again to enjoy the next reunion.Helen says these picnics include thealumni from Yosemite Park and CurryCompany as they, too, are very muchpart of the past and present scene ofYosemite National Park. Mark yourcalendars for the Seventh AnnualYosemite Picnic, tentatively set forSaturday, September 19, 1987. E&AAsuggests it would be a good idea to doublecheck with Helen Doty, P.O. Box134, Oakhurst, CA 93644; and makeyour reservations.24 COURIER/May 1987

RetirementsJames R. Walker, a MAR visitorservices specialist, retired January 3,marking the completion of more than 30years of federal service. Walker movedto the regional office in 1976 fromVoyageurs NP. Other assignments includedBig Bend, Mesa Verde, andCarlsbad Caverns National Parks, aswell as Aztec Ruins, George WashingtonBirthplace, Saguaro, and Wupatki NationalMonuments. In 1978, he wasrecognized with a Special AchievementAward for his contributions, serving asacting supervisory youth activities coordinator.In 1984 he received a SustainedSpecial Achievement Award.Calvin Pride Jr. retired after 40 yearsof federal service. At the conclusion ofWWII he returned to his hometown ofAndersonville and accepted a job aslaborer at the national cemetery. He dugmany a grave by hand and rememberswell having to cut the grass by horsedrawnmower. In 1971 when the nationalcemetery and historic Civil Warprison site became part of the NPS, hechose to remain at the park and continuehis NPS career. He was promotedto engineering equipment operator in1974.As of January 3, James L. Ryan,Associate Midwest Regional Director forAdministration, retired, winding up 30years of federal service. Presentation ofa Department of the Interior SuperiorService Award highlighted a luncheon inhis honor. The citation read, in part,"Mr. Ryan has progressed through increasinglyresponsible assignments sincethe beginning of his NPS career, whichwas with the Midwest Regional Office in1965." He was cited specifically for effectivelypromoting use of small anddisadvantaged business enterprises; applyingcomputer technology to a broadrange of administrative functions;employing a significant number ofminorites in the regional office; and involvinghimself in development of astrong regional training program.Following retirement, Ryan plans to continuehis active participation in theEmployees and Alumni Association activities."One of these years, I'd like tobicycle across Ireland," said Ryan, anavid cyclist.]ames L. RyanBill HoyJohnnie Davis, SWRO General SupplySpecialist, retired after more than 26years of federal service. He joined theNPS in 1966. During his 20 years in theSouthwest Regional Office, Davis alsoserved as a supply clerk and supplytechnician.Two long-time employees ofChiricahua and Fort Bowie, Ted Scottand Bill Hoy, retired at the end of 1986.Scott's NPS career began at Isle RoyaleNP, with other assignments includingLake Mead NRA, Great Smoky MountainsNP, and fourteen years atYellowstone NP. Major activities duringhis assignment at Chiricahua includedrehabilitation of the Bonita Canyoncampground, the 1984 ArizonaWilderness bill that added 850 acres tothe monument, and the purchase andpreparation of historic Faraway Ranch.Hoy's 30 years as a park ranger alsospan a number of parks, among themGrand Teton and Grand Canyon NationalParks, Mount Rushmore NationalMemorial, and Death Valley NationalMonument. Hoy's personal interest andsensitivity to the particular needs of FortBowie have made visits to the site arewarding experience for park visitors.A. Sidney Malbon, chief of theRecreation Planning and EnvironmentalCompliance Division, PNWRO, retiredon December 31, 1986, after 33 years ofgovernment service, 18 of which werewith the NPS. He started his NPS careerin 1951 as a seasonal ranger at MountRainier NP. He held progressively responsibleassignments as a landscape architectin the Western and SouthwesternRegional Offices, at the Blue RidgeParkway, Olympic NP and the MidwestRegional Office. While at Olympic, hewas the NPS representative on the interagencyteam that conducted some of theoriginal surveys leading to later enactmentof the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act.In 1966, he transferred to the PacificNorthwest Region of the Bureau of OutdoorRecreation (BOR) and returned tothe Service when HCRS was incorporatedinto NPS in 1981. While with BOR, heTed ScottRobert MitchamJohnnie Daviswas responsible for major accomplishmentsin the Section 4(f) Transportationand Federal Energy Regulatory CommissionReview Programs. It was largelythrough his assistance and guidance overthe years in coordinating all the variousinterests that the development andhistoric compliance in the region hasprogressed successfully.David A. O'Kane, PNWROMaintenance Programs Coordinator,retired after 33 years of federal service onMay 30, 1986. He began his career as aseasonal student engineer at Yellowstonein 1953, then worked in such offices asthe Maintenance Division at Yosemite,and the Southwest Regional Office. Duringhis career with the Service, he workedin 66 field areas, two design and constructionoffices, and two regional offices.Over the years, he and his wife becameexperts at packing and unpacking, butthis time they have decided to remain inthe Seattle area.Robert Mitcham retired after 35 yearswith the federal government, the last 14at Death Valley NM. Regional DirectorHoward Chapman was among the wellwishersat Mitcham's retirement party,and presented him with the Departmentof the Interior's Meritorious ServiceAward on behalf of Secretary Hodel.COURIER/May 1987 25

Bill Fields remembers 28 years of giving to the national parksBill FieldsHe smiles down at you from a heightof 6 1", attention focused on whateveryou may be saying at the time. Amongother things, Bill Fields is a good listener.He also knows how to tell a good story,a skill appreciated best perhaps by theeleven children he has helped to raise. Hecan say hello in ten different Indianlanguages—no small task, that; and hasbeen a horse trainer, a hunting guide, andthe coach of a girl's softball team.So what is a man of Bill Field's diversitydoing with 28 years of NPS service?According to Fields, it is precisely becausethe organization encourages such opportunities.A hydraulic engineer by trade,Fields might have made more moneyelsewhere; however, his respect for thephilosophy of the NPS has enticed himyear after year to continue working forthe organization."With the National Park Service, youhave the feeling of accomplishingsomething," he says.Fields joined the NPS in the dayswhen the Service was considerablysmaller and when some of its pristinewild areas were first being considered forinclusion in the park system. As ahydraulic engineer in the SouthwestRegion, Fields saw a good portion of thecountryside while installing water systemsand doing surveys for the Lands Division.He says he worked in every park in theSouthwest Region and almost every parkwest of the Mississippi (this last when heserved with the Western Office of Designand Construction in San Francisco)."Perhaps one of the most excitingthings I did was to become involved inthe early planning of new parks andmonuments. It was great in the 60s towork on the land purchases for Canyonlands,Capital Reef, Hubbel Trading Post,and, of course, Pecos, that wonderfulland gift from the Fogelsons."Of them all, Canyonlands perhapscomes closest to Fields' heart. Herecollects days spent in the backcountrywith Bates Wilson, the park's firstsuperintendent, during a period whenCanyonlands seemed wilder to him thanit does now, when headquarters wassmaller, a simple outpost with a less officiallook. In those days, he and Wilson,or simply he by himself, camped out eachevening after studying the geology of thearea. They listened to the coyotes, whileFields composed what he calls a ghostsong in his head, a song celebrating theancientness of the site. "It was a strongplace," he recalls, "a strong place.""Some things have changed since Ijoined the Service, but then othershaven't," Fields continues. As an example,he cites the current campaign to curblitter in park areas. "I was ridingmuleback with John McLaughlin, thenthe superintendent of Grand Canyon.Every time he saw a piece of trash alongtrail, whether it was a gum wrapper orwhatever it was, he would stop, get offhis mule, and cram the litter in his saddlebag.I was impressed by that."In 1971 Fields headed IndianAssistance for the Southwest, serving inthis capacity till 1984. The job resultedfrom John Cook's 1969 task force studythat led the Secretary of the Interior torequest that NPS expertise be added tothe BIA's in order to assist NativeAmericans with park and recreation planning."It was the beginning of thecooperative period between the federalgovernment, the state, and the Indians,"says Fields.Being half Cherokee, Fields was anatural for the job. His empathy with theneeds of Native Americans and his effortson their behalf led then-Director RussellDickenson to appoint him Indian coordinatorfor the National Park Service in1984. Since then, as he says, he has beentaking his "coyote and rabbit" show onthe road, trying to raise people'sawareness of the special relationshipNative Americans have with the parks."There is no place you can go in the NationalPark Service that hasn't beentouched by Native Americans," he says."My mission was to make the NPS moreaware of their responsibilities towardthem."Of his contributions Regional DirectorJohn Cook speaks forcefully: "We walkedmany a trail together as friends and NPSallies, and Bill's experience, his personality,his heart and soul put him in tunewith people to such a degree that he canget things done across cultures andbeyond. He bridges gaps between peopleregardless of culture, and he is lovedbecause of it."That others also feel the same was evidenton the night of Fields' retirementparty in Santa Fe. In spite of a blizzardthat closed roads, across the vast complexof Indian lands in northern Arizona andNew Mexico, Indian leaders came tohonor him. Among attendees wererepresentatives of the Navajo and Hopitribes. And, although disagreements betweenthese two tribes is commonknowledge, on this specific night they satat the same table and rose to honor Bill.Clarence Gorman, the superintendent ofNavajo National Monument, and HerbYazhe, the superintendent of Canyon deChelly, likewise attended. Fields wasrecently surprised with the meritoriousservice award in SWRO ceremonies, andcommended for "his exceptional contributionsas an engineer and his valuedassistance to Native Americans."Even though Bill Fields has retiredfrom the Service, his mission has andalways will remain the same. He continuesto work for increased understandingbetween the National Park Serviceand the Native Americans whose cultureis inextricably bound up in the parks.Whether it is for Navajo, Zuni, Cochiti,Taos, San II de Fonso, Jemez—the listgoes on and on—Bill Fields supportsthem . . . and he will continue to do thesame, no matter down which roads hisfuture carries him next.26 COURIER/May 1987

Our public lands are underattack. Not from any foreign force,but from some bad apples right herein this country. They're vandalizingparks and playgrounds, killing endangeredanimals, and even stealingartifacts from historic sites. That'swrong. Because these lands belongto all of us.Right now, in your area, thereare good guys who are organized toencourage wise use and help preventthis senseless abuse of our publiclands. And they're tough. A lottougher than the people who get theirkicks out of beating up trees anddefacing monuments.If you write to us, we'll tell youhow you can help. So you can be oneof the good guys who help us savepublic lands. Remember - the goodguys always win!Write:Take Pride in AmericaP.O. Box 1339Jessup,MD 20794BAD GUYS ABUSE PUBLIC LAND.GOOD GUYS SAVE IT.

FYIA display casethat preservesRon RoosExhibits Specialist/Project ManagerHFCMost of us think of a display case as acontainer for exhibits. But a case thatpreserves? To test this idea, the lobby ofthe Interpretive Design Center waschosen for a prototype display case project.The goal? To determine display casedesign standards that would assuredesign flexibility, efficient constructiontechniques and the long-term protectionof exhibit objects while on display atNPS areas. Design, assembly detailing,and material selection for the case werebased upon scientific preservation principles.The clean design configurationmade the case compatible with manyPark Service visitor center and museumsituations.Display case design should alwaysprovide a barrier against threats to exhibitobjects such as insect pests, theft,vandalism, and handling by visitors.Depending upon the nature and compositionof specific objects, other concernsmust also be addressed. Photosensitivematerials must be protectedfrom excessive light intensity and certainlight wavelengths. Organic objects mustbe protected from the ultraviolet componentpresent in sunlight and florescentlight sources. Other objects—certainmetals for instance—may react withgaseous environmental pollutants,resulting in rapid surface tarnish or surfacecorrosion. Most objects are affectedby atmospheric moisture content andcyclic changes in temperature andrelative humidity.Museum professionals have becomeaware of yet another concern in preservingmuseum exhibit objects: the displaycase itself. Poor accessibility to a case interiormay make the cleaning and inspectionof contents difficult ordangerous. Light sources located inside acase may overheat it. Inappropriatelighting type, intensity, or duration maydamage sensitive objects. Poorly sealedcases may fail to exclude gaseous environmentalpollutants. Indeed, somedisplay cases generate their ownpollutants. Many traditional as well asnewer high-tech construction materialsand finishes release fumes that react withexhibit objects. Gaseous pollutants fromthe formaldehyde, sulphur, and organicacids in some wood products andWhile long-term testing and evaluation are carried on, the evaluation program andtest devises are interpreted in the prototype case. Explanatory text describes the purposeof the lest equipment being used. (Photo by Mike Wiltshire)adhesives are common problems. Effectscan be intensified in a tightly sealedcase.The design of the Harpers FerryCenter (HFC) prototype exhibit case attemptsto answer these preservation concernsby establishing a protective barrieragainst such agents of deterioration. Thedoor closure system has been carefullydetailed to maintain a tightly sealedenvelope capable of preventing the infiltrationof dust, insect pests and environmentalpollutants. Large doors provideeasy accessibility to case contents.Non-reactive laminates have beenselected for the case interior to sealstructural wood to prevent internal airpollution. Lighting is filtered againstultraviolet wavelengths and can bevariably diffused to control intensity.28 COURIER/May 1987

The Tusayan Museum displays many sensitive ethnographic artifactsthat benefit from a controlled display case environment. HFC conservator,Toby Raphael, is shown installing a rack loaded with cottonbatting into one of the cases recently installed at the museum. Thisballast material helps stabilize relative humidity inside the case.(Photo by Ron Roos and Mike Wiltshire)While the case was under construction, HFC Exhibit Designer PhilipMusselwhite (left) and contract fabricator Steve Morse consider astructural change to the prototype. Steve Morse's firm, S. ]. Morseand Company of Purgittsville, WV, provided fabrication detailingand construction of the unit. (Photo by Ron Roos)The light source is isolated and ventedto prevent warming of the case interiorby bulbs or fixtures.A concealed chamber in the lowerportion of the case can be filled with abuffering material to stabilize relativehumidity inside the case while conditionsoutside vary. The buffering mediummay be either an active desiccant such assilica gel or a passive fibrous cellulosicmaterial such as cotton batting. Thechoice depends on the particularmuseum environment.Although the prototype case hasreceived compliments for its appearance,the goal of the project is not to standardizethe look of future Harpers Ferryexhibits. Rather, the evaluation will provideHFC designers with a palette ofproven, safe construction materials,hardware and finishes. Within thispalette, designers will have considerableaesthetic latitude without affecting thepreservation of exhibit objects.The performance of the case wasevaluated while set up in HFC's InterpretiveDesign Center lobby. Monthsof testing indicated the need for someWorld leaders and conservationists frommany countries will meet in Colorado inSeptember 1987, to help launch a new initiativein worldwide conservation. Meetingfor the first time in the United States, the 4thWorld Wilderness Congress is an urgentresponse to the destruction of globalwildlands and depletion of natural resources.Items of critical importance will be addressedincluding: tropical forests andbiological diversity; the role of the WorldBank and multinational corporations; newAnnouncementdetailing changes. The improvementswere evidenced in the construction ofunits for the design's first field use atGrand Canyon's Tusayan Museum.The project is a joint effort of HFC'sDivisions of Exhibit Planning andDesign, Conservation, and Museum Production.It illustrates what can happenthrough the interaction of HFC's diverseprofessional staff. By employing such anintegrated approach to design and production,HFC can efficiently preserveand protect the resources it puts on exhibitfor national park visitors.global scientific research; finance, economicsand conservation; the cultural necessity ofconserving wildlife and wildlands. Proposalsfor a World Conservation Bank and a WorldConservation Service are on the agenda. Theprogram consists of plenary sessions,technical symposia, workshops, exhibits andcultural events.Information is available from: 4th WorldWilderness Congress, Colorado State University,Fort Collins, CO 80523. or telephone(303) 491-5802COURIER/May 1987 29

Skills to preserve by: a new kind of training for NPSThe National Park Service has taken abig step toward realizing Point 9 in theDirector's 12-Point Plan, "StimulateCareer Opportunities and EmployeeGrowth," by initiating the SkillsDevelopment Plan for Historical Architectsin the National Park Service.While this plan has been developedspecifically for historical architects, participationis open to all NPS employeeswho work with historic structures.This Skills Development Plan is a firstattempt to list all the skills needed by ahistorical architect. And it is the firsttime that an effort has been made toprovide guidance on how these skills areused and how to learn them.A historical architect must have all theskills needed by an architect; that is,knowledge of design, strength ofmaterials, how to graphically describe abuilding concept, how to write specificationsand how to make drawings thatwill facilitate the construction of a newbuilding. This is a part of the conventionaltraining and education of architects.The historical architect's task is tolook at a historic structure and knowenough about historic building practices,the use of historic building materials,and historic maintenance treatments tobe able to determine how much isoriginal, how much has been changed,what are the problems and what is causingthem. In architecture school, designskills tend to be emphasized. In workingon historic structures, quite differentskills are required, such as the ability ofthe eye to observe, to interpret andunderstand the interaction of historicmaterials and historic buildingtechnology along with past treatmentsand maintenance.Recognizing the need, culturalresources staff have attempted to identifythe "universe" of skills that ahistorical architect should know. Basedon comments by NPS architects and furtherefforts of the authors, this documentnow describes more than a hundreddifferent skills. Some of the mostbasic and important skills are describedin greater detail to show a range frombasic to master level with examples ofthe kinds of tasks that are related to theskill.Trainees from the WiUiamsport Preservation Training Center replace a log on the Slave Quartersat Hampton NHS, Towson. MD. Photo by Emogene Bevitt.For example, a historical architectneeds to know about historic roofs.At a basic level, the historical architectshould know about:—evolution and development of wood,metal and slate roofing systems;—basic wood shingling materials like redcedar, white cedar, oak, cypress, locust,chestnut, and white pine;—historical preferences and theavailability of these materials in a givenregion and about the practices of makingshingles by both hand and machine;—fastening sytems for roofs, thesheathing systems, the use of flashing.At an advanced level, an historicalarchitect could know about:—more specialized materials, such as theuse of tile roofs;—roof appendages, roof cresting, roofbalustrades, skylights and flashing problems;—composition roofs and concrete andstone roofs.At a master level, the historical architectcould:—be conducting new research on theuses of roofing materials and craft practicesin regions;—know about temporary materials suchas thatching and bark;—know about roof coatings includingtar, paint, red iron oxide, linseed oil andbrick dust, sanded paints and creosote,about specialized roofing practices suchas Ludovici Interlocking Spanish Tileroofs, and special finishes such asgilding, glazed tile, and ceramic metals.Since the Skills Development Plan emphasizesself-help, a selected bibliographyis included with each of theseskills to provide a starting point forlearning more about a topic. An indepthexplanation of the plan waspublished in the CRM Bulletin, Vol. 9,No. 4, available from Kari Koester,NPS, P.O. Box 37127, Washington, DC20013-7127.The opportunity to enroll in the SkillsDevelopment Plan is open to any NPSemployee who works on historic structures;there is no deadline for application.Those interested in reviewing acopy of the Skills Development Planshould write Emogene Bevitt, PreservationAssistance Division, National ParkService, P.O. Box 37127, Washington,D.C. 20013-7127, or phone her at202-343-9561.—Emogene Bevitt30 COURIER/May 1987

Paintings Inspired by Southwest Parks on ExhibitSusan LambThe beauty of areas in our nationalpark system may kindle emotions few ofus are able to express. "Artist in theParks" Cynthia Bennett captures herown inspirations in an exhibit of paintingsdepicting fifteen southwestern nationalparks. The traveling exhibit isentering its second year touring the NPSsystem under the auspices of HarpersFerry Center. Craftsmen and Artists inthe Parks is a program begun in the late1960s, which received a boost during theBicentennial years when artwork, objects,and photographic exhibits wereneeded at Bicentennial sites. Programparticipants are usually selected throughartists' societies. Ms. Bennett, however,has the distinction of having been commissioneddirectly by Harpers FerryCenter in 1985. The paintings,copyrighted by Bennett and owned bythe National Park Service, will eventuallybe placed on long-term loan fordisplay in appropriate parks orWashington offices.Ms. Bennett, who lived at GrandCanyon for ten years, developed adistinctive style using bold, solid colorsand shadows to portray the magnificentlandscapes of the region. Her worksdraw upon years of hiking and rafting—anddreaming. The paintings in thisexhibit range from Glen Canyon andLake Mead to Tuzigoot and WalnutCanyon.Noted southwestern author AnnZwinger writes: "Such evocative viewsare the combined gift of one woman'sunderstanding of time, light and place,and the perception of a Park Servicecharged with their care and maintenance.If you receive these landscapesas she painted them, you will feel anabiding commitment to their continuance."Grand Canyon Natural HistoryAssociation has combined full colorreproductions of the paintings inLightfall and Time, a book co-publishedwith Northland Press. With an introductionby Ann Zwinger and naturalhistory essays by Susan Lamb, whospent six years as a ranger-naturalistwith the National Park Service, thebook not only illustrates themagnificence of Service areas but alsowomen who are actively interpretingthem.Lightfall and Time is availablethrough the Grand Canyon NaturalHistory Association, P.O. Box 399,Grand Canyon, Arizona 86023, phone(602) 638-7774 (64 pages, 15 color plates,8" X 8", $14.95 softbound; $24.95 hardbound).The exhibit is currently on display atFort Scott National Historic Site and willmove to Grand Canyon National Parkin April. Mid-Atlantic Region will thenhost the collection, with showings atShenandoah National Park in July,Allegheny Portage Railroad NationalHistoric Site in August, and UpperDelaware National Scenic and RecreationalRiver in September. In the fall theexhibit moves to North Atlantic Regionand will include Women's Rights NationalHistorical Park (October 4-16),Gateway NRA (October 21through November 4), and Fort StanwixNational Monument (November 8-21).Service areas interested in displayingthe collection may contact their RegionalTraveling Exhibit Coordinator or SusanCadwallader at Harpers Ferry Center(FTS 925-6214).Bennett's Cedar Breaks NMArtist Cynthia BennettCOURIER/May 1987 31

DeathsBerenice F. Scoyen, 93, widow ofEivind T. Scoyen (former NPS associatedirector under former Director Conrad L.Wirth from 1956 until his retirement in1962), passed away in Palo Alto July 2,1986, from a pneumonia-related condition.She is survived by a son, Edward,of 867 Newell Place, Palo Alto, CA94303, and three granddaughters. Donationsin her memory may be made to theEducation Trust Fund.Lillian H. Woolsey, 83, widow ofGeorge H. Woolsey, who retired fromthe design and construction office of theWestern Region, died January 27 inGrants Pass, OR. She is survived by ason, Raymond, of 736 NW Third, GrantsPass, OR, 97526.Boyd Burtnett, 48, former park rangerat Point Reyes NS, died in his home inGreenbrae, CA, on January 14 frompulmonary edema. Burtnett was one ofthe first ranger-naturalists to work atGolden Gate NRA (1974 to 1978 when hetransferred to Point Reyes). In 1984, hetransferred to OPM as an investigator,handling background checks on NPS lawenforcement officers. Burtnett also servedas an instructor at the Seasonal RangerLaw Enforcement Training Program atSanta Rosa Junior College, and enjoyedblack powder shooting, natural history,military history, and old movies. He issurvived by his wife, Judith, of 2130 RedwoodHighway E-8, Greenbrae, CA94904.Paul L. Swearingen, 52, of Golden,CO, died September 15. Swearingenworked as an research chemist and ateacher before joining the NPS, a careerhe followed for 27 years through sevenstates. Survivors include two sisters, oneson, three daughters, a step-daughter,and two nephews. Contributions in hismemory may be made to the Estes ParkLibrary.Eslie H. (Es) Lampi recently died inMichigan after a lengthy illness. Heserved as regional forester for a decadeuntil his retirement in 1974, after servingat Lassen Volcanic, Great Smoky Mountains,and Grand Canyon NPs. Afterretirement he settled in Santa Fe untillured into a new career with the PeaceCorps. A three-year stint began in KualaLumpur, capital of Malaysia, to help withits national parks. He contributed towardmaster plans and interpretive efforts. Hisfirst wife, Bea, preceded him in death inMay 1972. He is survived by his secondwife, Ellen, of 2171 Deer Lake Drive,Harrison, MI 84625.Thomas A. Walker, 83, long-timesuperintendent of Timpanogos Cave NM,died January 15 in a Provo, UT, hospital.To those connected with the park, he was"Mr. Timpanogos" from 1924 until hisretirement in 1969. Born and reared inPleasant Grove, he first becamefascinated with the area during his exploringdays as a Boy Scout. He was aguide to the area in 1924, working onweekends while attending Utah StateUniversity, then began to work at themonument in 1934 when it was under theForest Service. When the NPS assumedresponsibility for the area in July 1934,Walker became Acting Custodian andserved under the sponsorship of the TimpanogosCave Committee for ten years.He also served in Bryce and Zion NPs forseveral years before returning to Timpanogosas its superintendent, to retirethere in 1969.Upon retirement Walker received aDepartment of the Interior citation for"meritorious service and important contributionsto the field of park administration,particularly in its relationship tocommunity affairs." It explained that theNPS had elected not to transfer Walkerthroughout the system "because hisknowledge of the area and the key parthe played in its planning and developmentcould never be matched; his positionin the community, attained throughhis many years of work with the BoyScouts and Red Cross and civic organizations,could not have been regained; andalso, his weather and snow surveys forthe U.S. Weather Bureau and Soil ConservationService, gathered through skipatrols and snowpack measurements inthe high country, made him especiallyvaluable to these agencies."Walker is survived by his wife,Lucille, of 153 N 3rd East, AmericanFork, UT 84003, six children, 20 grandchildren,20 great grandchildren, threesisters, and two brothers. Donations inhis memory may be made to the EducationTrust Fund, c/o E&AA, P.O. Box1490, Falls Church, VA 22041. He was alife member of E&AA.Patricia K. Sturm, wife of Dr. AveryE. Sturm, died in November 1986. She issurvived by her husband, who was incharge of the Lewis Memorial Hospital inYosemite NP until his retirement about 10years ago and now resides at 5062Whitlock Road, Mariposa, CA 95338; ason, two daughters, a mother, a sister,and nine grandchildren. Donations in hermemory may be made to the AmericanCancer Society.Pauline M. DeCarlo, 64, diedDecember 1985. She retired in 1977 fromJohn Muir NHS, after working as a parktechnician for a number of years and asan employee of the Bank of Americabefore that. She and her husband,Joseph, enjoyed travelling, especially toparks. "Mother Nature was the pride ofher life," commented her husband.Because of her great love of mountains,her ashes were scattered on MountDiablo.E&AA was saddened to learn of thedeath of Carol Smith Matson, who diedMay 13, 1986. She and her husband,Walt, were visiting Lima, Peru, inFebruary when she suffered a stroke.Carol began her NPS career as a clerkstenographerin National Capital Parks(1936), rising to the position of PublicInformation Officer. She retired in May1970, doing volunteer work after thatfor the Americans United for the Separationof Church and State, and enjoyingtravel activities, bowling, and bicycling.She and her husband had been marriedthree years—Walt Matson (9509 EastBexhill Drive, Kensington, MD 20895)remembers her ever-present smile. In additionto her husband, Carol is survivedby two brothers. Those wishing to makea memorial donation to the EducationTrust Fund in Carol's memory may doso by sending it to E&AA, P.O. Box1490, Falls Church, VA 22041.Lewis R. Jones, a retiree from HotSprings NP, died December 15, 1986,after open-heart surgery. A U.S. Navyveteran, he began his NPS career as atemporary laborer in October 1959,receiving his career tenure in May 1967.Lewis suffered two severe heart attacksin 1972 and retired on disability inDecember 1972.Wanda Fones, 71, passed away inSanta Fe on November 18. She workedfor Eberline Instruments, State Engineer'sOffice, National Park Service and retireda co-owner of 7-Up Bottling Company.Wanda was the first woman regionalpersonnel officer in the Service. Accordingto Mike Maule, who worked for herfrom 1958 to 1960, she was a verycapable person who took pride developingand operating a top professional personneloffice. She is survived by herhusband, William E. Fones of Santa Fe,a son, two daughters, a brother, andseven grandchildren. Contributions inher memory may be made to theAmerican Cancer Society or theAmerican Heart Association.32 COURIER/May 1987

Regina Martin died on November 1,1986 following a long illness. At the timeof her death she worked as a Clerk-Typist in the Archeological AssistanceDivision. Prior to her assignment to theArcheological Assistance Division, sheworked in the Office of the SpecialAssistant for Policy Development. She issurvived by her parents, Helen andGeorge Martin, a son, and many otherrelatives and friends.Carol J. (Joe) Virostek, 68, diedDecember 22, 1986, after a long illness.A native of Pennsylvania, he served inthe Navy during WWII, becomingemployed in 1946 as a temporary laboreron the maintenance staff of PetersburgNMP. He was promoted to electrician atColonial NMP, later becoming aforeman at that park. Other promotionstook him to Gettysburg NMP and to theStatue of Liberty NM. He retired fromAssateague Island NS. Virostek is survivedby his wife, Margaret, of 528 OakHill Road, Petersburg, VA 23803, andfour sons.Philip B. Hastings, 51, an interpreterat Cuyahoga Valley NRA, died of aheart attack on December 22. Hastingsbegan his 20-year career in 1966 as apark ranger at Canyonlands NP. Hesubsequently served as Chief, Interpretation,at George Williams College; AssistantChief, Interpretation, MammothCave NP; Assistant Chief, Interpretation,Shenandoah NP; Chief, Interpretation,Apostle Islands NL; and InterpretiveSpecialist, Cuyahoga Valley.Cuyahoga Valley Superintendent LewAlbert said "Phil's career ended withgreat distinction here, where, amongmany other achievements, he built thefifth largest VIP program in the NPS,with more than 700 VIPs contributingmore than 30,000 hours annually. Philloved the NPS and served it with devotion.He will be greatly missed."Hastings is survived by his wife, Sue,and four children. Condolences may besent to the family at 1730 Graham Road,Silver Lake, Ohio 44224.Mildred Crow Lattimore, 82, diedNovember 27 at the Hillhaven ConvalescentHome in Savannah, GA. Thewidow of Ralston B. Lattimore(superintendent of Fort Pulaski NM from1948 to 1969), she worked for SavannahFoods and Industries prior to retirement,and was an active volunteer for theSavannah Nursery School. Mrs. Lattimoreis survived by her daughter, Mrs.Mary Elizabeth Lattimore Reiter. Thefamily asks that memorial donations bemade to the donor's favorite charity inMrs. Lattimore's memory.Tribute to Harvey B. ReynoldsWe were—and are—park brats. Dadand Mom brought us into the world inparks, nurtured us there, and let themhelp guide our growth. The parks wereour home and our classroom, even morethan the many schools we attended; forit was in the parks we learned valuesand philosophy. And—as they were toDad—they became an ideal to dedicate alifetime to.Dad is gone now. He died peacefullyafter a rich and full life on September23, 1986. He left us happy—happy inour personal lives and happy with thevalues that shape our lives as part of theNational Park Service. And we've boththought a lot about the kind of a manwho could do that.Of course, he didn't do it alone. Heand mom did it together. They did it asadventures in life. Snowed-in in Yellowstonewas a time for steamy winter picnicsby the hot pools. Moving 14 timesin 8 years, all within Yellowstone, werejust opportunities to see more, learnmore, and make more friends. Moves toTheodore Roosevelt, Pipestone andOmaha were new adventures, newchallenges, new landscapes and newfriends.He was a fine professional. As aranger, caring deeply for both resourcesand for people. As a superintendent,caring for all facets of his operation, internaland external. As a programs officer,managing money for Mission 66,and, later, other planning, design, andconstruction programs in Omaha,Yellowstone, and Washington, DC. As aproblem solver, ending his career inSeattle in 1973.Dad traveled and worked widely, andwas known around the Service. Even today,13 years after his retirement,former co-workers remind us of hisdedication, integrity and professionalism.It's a legacy we're proud tocarry.He was a humanist and a humorist.He could wiggle his ears and sing BarneyGoogle—off key. Dale Carnegie, whomDad took fishing in Yellowstone, said inan autographed copy of his book, Howto Stop Worrying and Start Living, "Thebest way I know to stop worrying andstart living is to go fishing with you."Chet and Ebba Brooks write of dad astheir "father" in the Service.He was a great dad. Fishing trips,picnics, summer family cross-countrytrips. He always let us build on our interests,and helped to create new ones.He made the outdoors, the city, animalsand people all of deep value to us. Hetaught us laughter and hard work (theformer still comes easier!). And he did itall with love.Mom continues to live at their homeat 13505 SE River Road, Apt. 56,Portland, Oregon 97222. They shared 51wedding anniversaries, for 51 years oflove and devotion. She looks forward tohearing from and seeing many ofyou—don't be surpised if she is on yourdoorstep. If you appear on hers, expecta smile, sparkling eyes, some good food,and a welcome as part of the family.The people of their 31 years in the Serviceare still her family, and she loves tohear from you. Now that she has a newsteel knee, she can get anywhere—andshe will. . . with laughter, happinessand a never ending flow of beautifulmemories as her constant companions.Harvey and Lois Reynolds were marriedSeptember 1, 1935. They came on duty inYellowstone National Park on September 9,1942. Transfers were to Theodore RooseveltNational Memorial Park, 1950; Pipestone NationalMonument, 1954; Midwest Regional Office,Omaha, 1956; Yellowstone National Park,1962; Midwest Regional Office, 1964; EasternService Center, Washington, DC 1969; PacificNorthwest Regional Office, 1972. They retiredin 1973.This article was written by Harvey's sons,John (Superintendent, North Cascades NationalPark) and Bob (Superintendent, Capitol ReefNational Park). His daughter, Jean Ley is atherapist and a youth counselor in Portland,Oregon. John, Bob and Jean wished this articlepublished not only as a tribute to their fatherwho was a real park professional but also as away of expressing faith in and our continuingneed for the Park Service family.COURIER/May 1987 33

The Albright Legacyflis footprints are on the UnitedStates and the world because all othernational park systems are modeled onthe one he built."This statement from the 1986 SierraClub's John Muir Award honoringHorace Marden Albright in his 96th yearheaded the simple announcement cardhanded out to the more than 250 friendsand family gathered at the Santa MonicaMountains National Recreation AreaApril 4, 1987, for a memorial ceremony.They had come to remember and celebratethe long and illustrious 97-yearlifespan of Horace Albright, who passedaway quietly in his sleep on March 28."The grand memories of his spirit, hischaracter and unabiding affection for theService will remain with us forever," saidNational Park Service Director WilliamPenn Mott, Jr., one of the speakers.Recalling that he first joined the ParkService in 1933 when Horace Albrightwas serving as its second director, andhaving visited and corresponded withhim frequently since becoming the Service'stwelfth director, Mott added that"we have been specially privileged tohave had the honor of working with oneof the rare people who truly changed anation for all time and influenced internationalgoodwill through parks. Theagencies and organizations born of hisvision will carry on his mission, in hisname and on his behalf, forever. Ourmost important memorial to him will beto carry on his work, his vision, hisdedication."Right to the end, Albright maintainedhis acuity of interest in the Park Serviceand in the well-being of his thousands offriends. From his room in a convalescenthome in North Hollywood, he maintaineda voluminous correspondence,pecking out letters on an ancient portabletypewriter that he would rest on the sideof the bed, or in the last few months,painstakingly and slowly writing out theletters by hand on a lined pad for hisdaughter, Marian Schenck, to decipherand type for him. On the day Horacepassed on, Marian found 14 letters readyto be typed.In recent months, despite failing health,he welcomed a constant stream of visitorswho came to his room to partake of hisfriendship, his keen interest in the welfareof the National Park Service, his everpresentsense of humor and the wealth ofinformation and good stories about conservation,people and politics he hadaccumulated in his wide-ranging career ingovernment and the private sector.When my wife, Pat, and I went to seeHorace a week before his death, he wasvisiting with Santa Monica MountainsNRA Superintendent Dan Kuehn and hiswife, Kate. Horace told us of his latestproject—writing an account of the ParkService-related activities of FDR's InteriorSecretary, Harold Ickes. He wanted toknow how "our" recently published bookwas being received—the account I hadhelped him put together of the real storyof the founding years of the Park Service.He also was concerned about thereports he was hearing that politicalappointees in the Interior Departmentwere interfering with the Park Serviceprofessionals in running the parks, andhe discussed with me whether or not heshould write a letter to Interior SecretaryDonald Hodel about the situation. Abookcase next to his bed and all thechairs in the room were chock full of lettersto be answered and research materialon the several writing projects he hadunder way.Although he expressed pessimism abouthis health and his ability to "stick aroundmuch longer," his interest in parks and inthe activities of his friends, and hiseagerness to make contributions to thenational park historical record remainedunabated to the end.Born in Bishop, California, on January6, 1890, Horace Albright was in lawschool at the University of California atBerkeley, aspiring to be a mining lawyer,when in 1913 he accepted what hethought would be a short-time job inWashington assisting one of his professorswho had been selected as a topassistant to the Secretary of the Interior.He helped pass the Organic Act of 1916establishing the National Park Service,became Assistant Director to the firstPark Service Director, Stephen T.Mather, and at the age of 27, stepped into actually organize the Park Service in1917 when Mather was forced by illhealth to be away from office for 18months.Albright became the first Park Servicesuperintendent at Yellowstone NationalPark, after the Army left in 1919, andbuilt it into a model park for the world.Serving concurrently as a field assistantto the Director, he helped to develop theranger corps and guide the western parks.In his decade as Yellowstone superintendent,he hosted visits of presidents,royalty and members of Congress, andFlags at Washington Monument athalf staff for death of Horace Albrightwas the subject of an article in a leadingnational weekly magazine which calledhim "the Duke of Yellowstone." He alsoescorted John D. Rockefeller, Jr., into theJackson Hole area in 1926, and got thephilanthropist interested in buying upland around the Grand Teton area so itcould be protected in a new nationalpark.He succeeded Mather as Director in1929 after Mather suffered a stroke. Hisdirectorship was marked by a Park Serviceadministrative reorganization,establishment of an education branch anda wildlife management program, and thecreation of a number of new park areasincluding Grand Teton, Death Valley,Canyon de Chelly, Arches and Badlands.His greatest accomplishment was convincingPresident Franklin D. Roosevelt toissue an executive order in 1933 directingthe Army and the Forest Service to turnover to the Park Service 48 military andhistoric sites and natural areas. Theaction transformed the Service overnightfrom a small bureau consisting mostly ofwestern parks, and in danger of beingtaken over by the Forest Service, into amajor agency with park areas andpolitical constituency throughout thenation.With a need to increase his financialposition (his two children were nearingcollege age and he was making only$9,000 as Park Service director), Albrightleft the Park Service in August 1933 tobecome chief operating officer ofU.S. Potash Company. But, for thenext half century, he continued hissignificant efforts and involvement inconservation activities.34 COURIER/May 1987

He worked behind the scenes in thelong fight to add the Rockefellerpurchasedprivate lands in Jackson Holeto an enlarged Grand Teton NationalPark. He knew and had a working relationshipwith Presidents Harding,Coolidge, Hoover, Franklin D. Rooseveltand Eisenhower, knew Ronald Reaganpersonally and spoke with him on conservationmatters during the 1980 presidentialcampaign, and once met withTheodore Roosevelt during World War Iand signed up as a volunteer for theRough Riders corps Roosevelt was tryingto organize.He helped organize and became thefirst president of Resources for theFuture. He advised Interior secretariesand Park Service directors, served on theInterior Secretary's Advisory Board onNational Parks, Historic Sites, Buildingsand Monuments, visited national parks inmany foreign countries, and served onthe board of directors of the PacificTropical Botanical Gardens, the NationalAudubon Society, Colonial Williamsburgand many other organizations.His many honors included beingknighted by King Gustav V of Swedenfor achievements in national parksmanagement. He has been designatedHonorary Vice President of the SierraClub every year since 1937. He was giventhe Garden Club of America's HutchinsonMedal for his work in saving of redwoods,the Camp Fire Club of America'sGold Medal for wildlife conservation, theAmerican Forestry Association's DistinguishedService Award for conservationactivity, and the Theodore RooseveltMemorial Association's Roosevelt Medalfor resource conservation and wildlifeprotection. And he was awarded theMedal of Freedom by President JimmyCarter in 1980.For 65 years, Albright's constant companion,helping in all his activities, washis wife, Grace, who made many contributionsof her own to advancing thenational park movement. The two greattragedies of Albright's life were Grace'sdeath in 1980, and the loss of his son,Robert Mather Albright, who died in1950 at the age of 31.Albright is survived by his daughter,Marian, daughter-in-law Mary GowerAlbright, four grandchildren and 10great-grandchildren. The Albright traditionin parks work is being carried on bygrand-daughter Susan Ford Isaacson, whoserved until recently as a seasonal rangerat Sequoia National Park, her husband,Horace Albright, ]uly 1981Scott Isaacson, the supervisory parkranger at Timpanogos Cave NationalMonument, and nephew Stanley T.Albright, NPS Associate Director forOperations.The Albright place in history hasalready been recognized by the naming ofthe Horace M. Albright Training Centerat Grand Canyon and by the State ofCalifornia's designation in 1981 of a100-acre tract of redwoods in the SouthCalavaras State Park as "The Horace andGrace Albright Grove." At MammothCave National Park, a building thatAlbright had renovated and establishedas the Mammoth Museum was redone in1979 and named the Horace M. AlbrightVisitors Center. Efforts are now underway to give his name to a prominentnatural feature in Yellowstone NationalPark.Horace Albright's epitaph might wellbe carved from part of the citationaccompanying his Presidential Medal ofFreedom:"A founding father of the NationalPark Service, a champion of nature'scause and a defender of America's mostprecious inheritance."Robert CahnRobert Cahn collaborated with HoraceAlbright on the Howe Brothers publication,The Birth of the National ParkService: The Founding Years 1913-1933.E&AA offers the book to members at a40 percent discount.COURIER/May 1987 35

Horace Albright's farewell letter to the Serviceupon his retirement in 1933In this letter, perhaps one of my lastofficial statements to you, let me urgeyou to be aggressive and vigorous in thefullfillment of your administrative duties.The National Park Service, from itsbeginning, has been an outstandingorganization because its leaders, both inWashington and out in the field, workedincreasingly and with high public spirit tocarry out the noble policies and maintainthe lofty ideals of the service as expressedin law and executive pronouncement. Donot let the service become "just anotherGovernment bureau"; keep it youthful,vigorous, clean and strong. We are nothere to simply protect what we havebeen given so far; we are here to try tobe the future guardians of those areas aswell as to sweep our protective armsaround the vast lands which may wellneed us as man and his industrial worldexpand and encroach on the last bastionsof wilderness. Today we are concernedabout our natural areas being enjoyed forthe people. But we must never forget thatall the elements of nature, the rivers,forests, animals and all things coexistentwith them must survive as well.I hope that particular attention will beaccorded always to that mandate in theNational Park Service Act of 1916 and inmany organic acts of the individual parkswhich enjoin us to keep our great parksin their natural condition. Oppose withall your strength and power all proposalsto penetrate your wilderness regions withmotorways and other symbols of modernmechanization. Keep large sections ofprimitive country free from the influenceof destructive civilization. Keep these bitsof primitive America for those who seekpeace and rest in the silent places; keepthem for the hardy climbers of the cragsand peaks; keep them for the horsemanand the pack train; keep them for thescientist and student of nature; keep themfor all who would use their minds andhearts to know what God had created.Remember, once opened, they can neverbe wholly restored to primeval charmand grandeur.I also urge you to be ever on the alertto detect and defeat attempts to exploitcommercially the resources of thenational parks. Often projects will be formulatedand come to you "sugar-coated"with an alluring argument that the parkwill be benefitted by its adoption. WeNational Park men and women knowthat nature's work as expressed in theworld-famous regions in our charge cannotbe improved upon by man.Beware, too, of innovation in makingthe parks accessible. For a half century,elevators, cableways, electric railwaysand similar contrivances have been proposedfrom time to time and have beenuniformly rejected. The airplane whilenow an accepted means of transportationshould not be permitted to land in ourprimitive areas.Park usefulness and popularity shouldnot be measured in terms of merenumbers of visitors. Some precious parkareas can easily be destroyed by the concentrationof too many visitors. Weshould be interested in the quality ofpark patronage, not by the quantity. Theparks, while theoretically for everyone touse and enjoy, should be so managedthat only those numbers of visitors thatcan enjoy them while at the same timenot overuse and harm them would beadmitted at a given time. We must keepelements of our crowded civilization to aminimum in our parks. Certain comforts,such as safe roads, sanitary facilities,water, food and modest lodging, shouldbe available. Also extra care must betaken for the children, the elderly and theincapacitated to enjoy the beauty of theparks.We have been compared to the militaryforces because of our dedication andesprit de corps. In a sense this is true.We do act as guardians of our country'sland. Our National Park Service uniformwhich we wear with pride does commandthe respect of our fellow citizens. Wehave the spirit of fighters, not as adestructive force, but as a power forgood. With this spirit each of us is anintegral part of the preservation of themagnificent heritage we have been given,so that centuries from now people of ourworld, or perhaps of other worlds, maysee and understand what is unique to ourearth, never changing, eternal.The family requests that donations in Horace Albright's memory be sent to theNational Park Foundation, P.O. Box 57473, Washington, DC 20037.HMA:A Towering Figure1 know I'm near the end of thetrail, but I'm not unhappy about that,for I've had a wonderful life. The NationalPark Service has held me captive— and I know it has a great futureas well as a great past."The speaker was Horace MardenAlbright; the place was a nursing homein Studio City, California; and the datewas November 16, 1986. The words wereoffered to Herbert E. Kahler to bringback to the Conference of National ParkCooperating Associations biennialmeeting in San Diego, which would startthe next day. It was a message of praiseand hope, for Horace Albright wasalways ready to cheer the efforts of thosededicated to the Service that he helped toestablish more than 70 years before.During the next several hours on thatSunday, after labeling himself "an oldman with a good memory," HMAregaled us with Service-related stories,experiences and observations. Explaininghis early interest in history, he told usabout his brother, George Leslie Albright,an historian who made him conscious ofthe American past prior to his death in1916. It explained, he said, his growingfeeling in the years that followed that itwas important for the United States tosave the best of its historic past as wellas the best of its scenic and scientificpast.What transpired between 1916 and1933 in the National Park Service is wellknown and is covered again in his latestretrospective article: "The Birth of theIdea" in the new publication, TheNational Parks: The Story Behind theScenery. Less well known is the fact thatafter he left the Service in 1933 his interestnever waned. In 1934 he took timeto review the operations of the BritishNational Trust, which in turn led to theHistoric Sites Act of 1935, anothermilestone in the history of the NationalPark Service.Early in February this year, my wifeand I stayed overnight with HMA'sdaughter, Marian, and her husband,Roswell; and Marian, who has served asher father's confidante and amanuensis,corroborated the story that came out of aheart attack suffered by HMA in thesummer of 1986. At the end of his siege,when it was certain that he would surviveagain, he turned on his doctor and,faking high dudgeon, said, "I'm going tosue you for malpractice." To which he36 COURIER/May 1987

added after a pause and with a twinkle inhis eye, "for letting me live." The doctor'sreply was a classic: "Horace, eaglesare an endangered species—and we can'tlet them die."The next morning Marian took us tothe nursing home. There was HMA in hiswheelchair, writing on a yellow foolscappad. In the wake of his usual warmgreeting he exercised his astonishingmemory, once again providing stories ofevents, both new and long-remembered,and of friends. As always, he came backto his beloved Service, his belief in it andhis faith in the future for it. And then hesaid reflectively, "I believe, Fred, I havebeen loyal and faithful." It's a greatepitaph—especially if we try to walk inhis steps.Frederick L. Rath, Jr.It has been my good fortune to haveknown Horace M. Albright for 53 years.I first met him at a conference of parkhistorians held in Washington shortlyafter Horace had accepted the position ofGeneral Manager of U.S. Potash Company.He came down from New Yorkand his opening remarks were, "All myfuture is in the past." He told us of hisown happy experiences in the parks, and,with his infectious enthusiasm, urged usto grasp the "glorious opportunities" thatlay ahead. Never had I heard such a peptalk. He was deeply committed to theparks.The second incident which I recallvividly occurred about 1969. Horace hadretired from U.S. Potash and I hadretired from the Service. We had lunch atthe Cosmos Club, and for an hour hekept me enthralled, explaining how andwhy he got the Service involved in thehistoric preservation program. He pointedout that most of the parks were in thewest while a majority of historic siteswere in the east, and that he needed thesupport of eastern senators and congressmenfor his appropriation bills.Moreover, Horace had a deep andabiding interest in history and believedstrongly that historic sites should be protectedand interpreted. During theluncheon I called Robert Utley, my successor,and told him I was hearing greatoral history that should be recorded. So,following the luncheon, we arranged anopportunity for Horace to meet Utley,Roy Appleman and other members of thehistory staff. For another hour and ahalf, Horace explained in detail how thehistory program came into being. Hisinterest was intense; his memoryphenomenal; and his stamina amazing.All concluded that the basic data wewere hearing should be published. ButNPS funds for publishing were in shortsupply, so Eastern National Park &Monument Association came to therescue and printed his Origins ofNational Park Service Administration ofHistoric Sites.The third episode occurred lastNovember when Fred Rath and I calledon Horace, who was in a convalescenthome in the Los Angeles area. He was ina wheelchair and time had taken its tollon his body, but his mind was as keen asever. He asked me to review a manuscripthe had just written about a trip hehad taken in 1933 with Secretary HaroldL. Ickes to Williamsburg shortly after theSecretary had taken office. The purposeof the trip was to acquaint the Secretarywith some of his new responsibilities. Asusual, Horace had prepared in detail forthe trip. Enroute, he explained the battlefieldsof Fredericksburg and Richmond;he showed the Secretary the great housesalong the James River and finally endedat Jamestown and Yorktown. The nextmorning at breakfast Horace started tomention several items of history when theSecretary cut him short. Pointing to hisneck, he said he was filled up to therewith history and wanted to hear no moreof it.Horace was a man of vision andaction. He loved parks; he loved people.He never forgot old friends and healways eager to make new ones.Herbert E. Kahlerllorace Albright will be rememberedas one of our Nation's foremostconservationists. As the second directorof the National Park Service, he developedthe basic concepts and goalsthat have produced a park system topreserve forever our country's naturalwonders. His legacy has already enrichedthe lives of millions who haveenjoyed the beauty and inspiration ofour national park system, and it willcontinue to enrich generations tocome...We join with all Americans inremembering this great man withpride and gratitude. His foresight anddetermination have made this a finerworld for us all.Ronald Reaganllorace M. Albright has a monumentthat few will ever match, a magnificentsystem of national parks that enriches thelives of millions of people and has beenemulated by more than 100 nationsaround the world.As a co-founder of the National ParkService, Mr. Albright was a pioneer. Asthe first Park Service superintendent ofYellowstone and the Service's seconddirector, he developed the managementconcepts and traditions—based on anequal respect for the wonders of natureand the needs of the park visitor—thatstrongly underpin today's operation ofthe national park system.We all are in his debt.Donald Paul HodelVV ho knows what the parks would belike today if Horace Albright had chosennot to get on the train in California inMay of 1913? Many who have gatheredin memory of him would be different, aswould I.I first met Horace at my first NationalCapital Park and Planning Commissionmeeting, nearly 58 years ago. Ever sincethen he has inspired me with his tirelessefforts to preserve this land of ours. Heunderstood the value of the earth and allliving things on it, and wanted people totreasure that gift from God.Horace's rich heritage of resourcepreservation has had an effect on thenation as a whole that not all fully grasp.From the "Park Purification" bill of 1916,through the CCC days and the supportof state park systems, to his continuedefforts in support of all manner ofenvironmental conservation, HoraceAlbright stands as tall as one can.What many take for granted, he deeplyappreciated and nurtured, from Yellowstoneas its first superintendent to theRedwoods of California. He, forever, inpublic and private life, championed thecause of park preservation.The honors bestowed upon him andthe words we speak can never do himfull justice. The land we stand on and theparks that surround us are living tributesto a founder of the national park systemand a truly mighty person.Conrad L. WirthCOURIER, May 1987 37

VV hen I first joined the National ParkService, Horace Albright was the director.When I returned to take that samejob, I visited Horace on a number ofoccasions to seek his wise counsel andadvice. I was not disappointed.Horace Albright was a very specialman. Even at 97, he was a man whonever let time pass him by. His interestand quest for knowledge never stopped.His eloquence and his passion for theNational Park Service never dimmed. Histypewritten notes, pounded out with onefingerdeliberateness, came to me atregular intervals—notes of encouragement,notes of information, notes of support,notes on history and historicalevents.We have been specially privileged. Wehave had the honor of working with oneof the rare people who truly changed anation for all time and influenced internationalgoodwill through parks. Evenbetter, his work created a climate thathas fostered many more changes.Some will say that Horace Albrightwas the last of his generation, the last ofthat special breed of men who created theconservation and park movements thatspread throughout the world. But it isjust as important to understand that heleft new generations. Just as his children,grandchildren and great-grandchildrenhave built on his personal legacy ofpublic service and private success, theagencies and organizations born of hisvision will carry on his mission, in hisname and on his behalf, forever.As great a man as Horace Albrightwas, our most important memorial tohim will be the commitment to carry onhis work, his vision, and his dedicationlong after our little speeches and smallgifts are forgotten. It is the most fittingtribute we can offer: our pledge that wewill build on the Mather/Albrightfoundation a stronger National Park Servicefor future generations to enjoyunimpaired.William Penn Mott, Jr.Xlorace Albright was the last livinglink to the origin of the National ParkService, an organization dedicated toone of man's more noble enterprises— the preservation of our natural andcultural heritage. We will all miss hispresence, yet we are grateful that hissteady hand helped shape our organizationand the principles it stands for.Robert Barbee.After the death of my wife in earlyApril 1981, my daughter and I headedfor California for a visit with my son,Boyd, then superintendent of Sequoiaand Kings Canyon National Parks. Duringour stay, Horace Albright's daughter,Marian Schenck, invited us to have dinnerwith her husband, her father, andherself in Studio City, before we headedhome to Pennsylvania. At their snughome, we were welcomed like long-lostmembers of the family. We were treatedto a perfect meal and pleasant conversation—especiallythat with HoraceAlbright. In addition, a tour of theSchenck home revealed trophies ofHorace's long career, not only with theNational Park Service but as a privatecitizen.This gathering with Horace and hisfamily in 1981 started what became anannual and eagerly anticipated event. In1982, the Schencks met us at the airport,then took us to an interesting eatingplace at one of Los Angeles' beachfrontrestaurants. I remember—and I am sureHorace did to the day of his death—thatwe were waited on by a statuesque,beautiful waitress. I remember also that,after we had eaten, Marian found a placewhere Horace and I might talk undisturbed,which we did for a couple ofmemorable hours. Certainly, thoseannual meals and get-togethers aresomething I shall always remember withdeep pleasure.It happened that I first met Horace atthe meeting of the National Conferenceon Parks in Des Moines, Iowa, in 1921.By the time he and I really developed ourlong friendship, when I moved toWashington in 1929, Horace had behindhim fifteen years of service to America'snational parks. At the start there was nosuch thing as a skilled national parkadministrator, so it had been a period oflearning for Horace. Since Mr. Matherhad suffered a nervous breakdownshortly after his appointment as director,it was Horace who had organized thenew bureau in the spring of 1917; and itwas Horace who was the author of aproduction for which Secretary Lanegained great, and deserved, credit: the1918 statement of national park administrativeprinciples. As the first civiliansuperintendent of Yellowstone, Horacealso learned and showed great talent forpark administration.When Horace succeeded Mather asdirector in January 1929, he and Matherhad both long held that the Park Serviceshould manage the historic structures andthe battlefields then under the WarDepartment. During the Hoover Administration,he worked on the War Department,and found they were hardlyadverse to getting rid of this part of theirjob. So it was not surprising that, whenFranklin D. Roosevelt became President,he transferred these areas to the Service.Horace Albright influenced a lot ofpeople and did a lot of good.And did I say, also, that I'm going tomiss Horace, our annual meetings, andour frequent correspondence! I amproudest that he once said I was his bestcorrespondent.Herb EvisonJTlorace M. Albright had alreadycompleted his tenure as Director whenI began my Park Service career. Fiftyyears later I found myself sitting in thehome of his daughter and son-in-law,having lunch with the great man. Thiscame about while my husband and Iwere on a western tour with Herb Evison.After we had enjoyed a visit withBoyd and Barbara Evison at Sequoiaand Kings Canyon National Parks, thefive of us drove to Studio City for whatturned out to be a highlight in my associationwith the National Park Service.Upon our arrival, I was introduced tothe man I had heard and read so muchabout. Confined to a wheelchair, Mr.Albright was jolly and pleasant, andseemed much younger than his 95years. He was all I expected, andmore.After lunch, we talked of the earlydays of the Service. When William H.Jackson was discussed, Mr. Albright'sdaughter showed us an album she hadassembled over the years for her father.As we were going through it, wecame upon a newspaper clippingabout an exhibition of Jackson's worksbeing shown at the Interior DepartmentMuseum. When I remarkedthat I had set up the exhibit, Mr. Albright'seyes lit up and he insisted that Iwrite a note about the exhibition andmy work on it for his album. Needlessto say, it was a proud moment for me tobe so honored by this great and wonderfulman.I shall never forget that afternoon Ispent with him, nor the memories heshared with us.Eleanor S. Calhoun38 COURIER/May 1987

Little did I realize that night in theearly summer of 1931, en route to a firsttimemeeting with Horace Albright inthe old union train station in Omaha,Nebraska,, that I shortly would be onmy way to the nation's capital to becomethe first chief historian of theService-leaving behind the pleasantacademic life to which I had grown accustomed.Much less could I foresee that Iwould soon become part of the excitingand dramatic environment of the NewDeal and play a contributing role,along with Horace Albright, in establishingthe nationwide historical programof the Service and securing passageof the Historic Sites Act of 1935,the program's magna carta.Many there are who owe much tothat great man, Horace Albright. I amone of the many; and there are not sufficientwords in the English language todescribe my feelings about him. Hewas not only an effective administratorwho could produce all-out effort fromthose working with him, but he was alsoa person of tremendous creativity whocould encourage new ideas, developthem, and secure their approval. Hewas, I feel certain, the great father ofthe National Park Service.Verne E. ChatelainV_/ne mid-summer day nearly sixtyyears ago there was a hubbub outsidethe Snake River (Forest Service) RangerStation at Moran, Jackson Hole. Asmall fleet of open touring cars(Packards?) had rolled up. My friend,Dr. L. I. Hewes of the Bureau of PublicRoads, San Francisco, was dropping byfor a quick visit. It was a Park Serviceparty with Horace Albright, superintendentof Yellowstone, and other notables.Mr. Albright (long afterwards,Horace) cordially invited me to visithim at Mammoth (park headquarters),which I was able to do the following LaborDay weekend, hitch-hiking up. Hequickly got me a ride down to "Canyon"where Tom Vint, his Chief LandscapeArchitect, was laying out a housekeepingcamp on the ground. Tomneeded help, and I was persuaded totravel to California a year later where Itook a Civil Service examination forPark Service Landscape Architect.I entered on duty in January of 1929,and, through the years since, never losttouch with Horace. High on his agendawas making friends for the Serviceatall times on all levels. That includedintroducing people whom he thoughtshould know each other. Even throughthose sad times when he lost first hisson, Bob, and then his all-time love,Grace, he never failed with his wonderfulgift of making everyone feel important.Years later, discussing his departurefrom the Service in 1933, Horace toldme that most difficult and ruthlessman-Interior Secretary Harold Ickeshadrefused to assure Albright's reappointmentas Diretor. But Albrighthad to make a living for his young family,and, so, when he did leave for thatpotash company in New York, Ickeswas indignant. But Horace didn't losetouch with his former colleagues.Through his travelling years, he continuedto check into the parks from coastto coast and with park fans in the bigcities. As to serving on the Interior AdvisoryBoard, he admitted once thatsome people didn't want him there becausehe knew too much. He certainlydid know a lot, and how fortunate weare today to have his recollections inpublished memoirs. Much of it wastyped out, hunt-and-peck, on a 1926Smith-Corona in his little room in thatNorth Hollywood convalescent homewhere I last saw him. His measure ofpeople was comprehensive and his recallof meetings phenomenal, right upto the end.Horace never lost a chance to intervenein behalf of the parks. He hadoutstanding success in enlisting the interestof the Rockefeller familythrough two generations. From Acadiato the Shenandoah and the GreatSmokies-but especially the long anddifficult campaign to save JacksonHole-he was at top form in gettinghuge donations of both lands andcash.Horace Albright's political skill andresourcefulness were awesome. Hisinfluence will be felt for a long, longtime.Charles E. Peterson, FAIAJTlorace Albright was director ofthe National Park Service when I enteredon duty at Yorktown in the summerof 1931. I remember the first time Imet him. There was much excitementand not a little apprehension whenword got around that the "Director wascoming." The tension relaxed,however, when we saw he was not a superman.His friendly smile, inquisitivemanner, and obvious interest in whatwe were doing quickly allayed our nervousness.His sincere and deep interest in theNational Park Service was contagious.When he came into the office, I wasbusy mounting our colelction of historicalmaps in a large binder. He spentseveral minutes scanning the oldmaps, asking questions, and in themeantime making me forget that hewas the director and I just a fledglinghistorian. This encounter did much toremove my lingering doubts aboutleaving academia for a career with thegovernment.I relate this personal experience becauseI think it illustrates one quality ofhis greatness. He was, heart and soul,a park man, and he was bound to sharehis enthusiasm with anyone else. Thatenthusiasm was contagious and allinclusive-itmade no difference whetherhe was talking with a young ranger, aRockefeller, or a member of the royalfamily. He did not have to have a formalaudience-he found one in thecampground, on cruise ships, in hotellobbies, or in offices.Albright left the Park Service to takeon heavy responsibilities in the businessworld, but he did not change. Hecontinued to keep abreast of programsand problems in the parks. In onesense, he was more influential becausehe was outside the government.His contacts ranged over the broadfield of preservation and conservation.He did not forget friends and associates.His power of recall was impressive,even to the end of his life. Lastyear, he wrote an account of his visitwith Secretary Ickes to Jamestown andYorktown in the spring of 1933, recallingdates, places, and names of personsthey met with complete accuracy.All of us are the richer for knowinghim and we shall miss him greatly.Elbert CoxCOURIER/May 1987 39

IN APPRECIATION:JAMES VERNON MURFINSeptember 25, 1929-March 30, 1987Editor's note: In July 1980, Jim wrote atribute to Freeman Tilden that appearedin the Courier. The words of that tributemight very well have been spoken abouthimself: "He never wore a ranger's hat,or a green uniform, or a gold badge, buthe was one of us. We sat spellbound inhis presence, and, I suppose, through thelegacy of his writings, we will for yearsto come." Let that be so, for Jim laboredover his work and loved that labor,loved the finely crafted final product heproduced—the truth that it preserved, theinfluence that it could have, the sheer funand exhilaration that are the author'salone when the work speaks what is inthe heart. And those who knew Jim,most of them, loved him too: respectedhim, learned from him, and will miss terriblythe bright, quick intelligence thatnever ceased to focus his life.L/ear Jim,This is the letter I promised myself Iwould send you. It's a confirmation ofhow much it meant to me to be a friendand a colleague of yours.I admired so many things about yourstyle and your mind. One of your bestattributes was your drive and ferociousattack on potential problems for thecooperating associations. You had aninnate sense of which individual associationor Park Service issues could havenational impact, and you approachedthem immediately.I admired your sharing, open nature.We shared most of the problems andpotentials of our job-related activities andwould talk them out until a mutuallyagreeable resolution was found. I haveknown few people who have shared withtheir co-workers in this way.You were one of the most articulateindividuals 1 have known. Your conversationalor podium speech was trim, tothe point and effective. You were asmuch at ease with a Ranger Skills classas with prominent corporation presidents,politicians or writers. You knew the righttone to set with all situations—seriouswhen appropriate, but an engaging witand joie de vivre when relaxed. I willnever be able to emulate your richstorehouse of anecdotes and jokes,always the right one for the occasion.Perhaps only I realize how you laboredover every meticulous detail of trainingcourses and, especially, the biennial conferenceswhich you established. At latehours of the night you would write andrewrite every phrase of every introductionor M.C. remarks you were to make.Yes, you were a perfectionist—and onewith a vision. You wanted only the bestfor the associations and made everyeffort to achieve that, regardless of theexpense to yourself in time and energy.And, remarkably, about 90 percent of thetime you were able to pull quality up toyour expectations.And you had panache! Everythingunder your purview was given a dash offlair, good taste, and a touch of excellence.You recognized and encouragedgood writing, design, art, poetry, filmmaking,because you, yourself, had adeep-seated sensitivity to the extratouches that separate enduring qualityfrom the ordinary.You enriched my life by allowing meto enter so close to your mind andvision. I grew enormously during thesepast years by sharing, as a colleague, inthe problems, frustrations, excitements,and rewards through our close association.Your rewards are not in recognitionby certificates and awards, but from thestrong, lasting legacy you have leftthrough your personal writings and thefirm foundations you left the NationalPark Service cooperating associations;because of your selfless dedication, theycannot help but soar.Thank you, my friend.Ed PilleyJ im Murfin died at suppertime onMarch 30. I heard about it by phone thenext day. I hated the news, but it wasn'ta surprise, because he'd been wrestlingleukemia and that's a scary one. InJanuary he'd looked tough. We were inhis Maryland home. Framed on the wallswere surprises for anyone who knew Jimjust from the Service or from his historywritings. In one corner there wereannouncements from his days as a jazzmusician, and over the fireplace weresome astonishing portraits he'd done inpencil. On the one of General Lee youneeded a lens to see individual strokes.That evening, Nancy fixed one of hermeals-you-remember, and Jim enjoyed it,but passing plates was an effort. Still, hetalked of projects he was in the middleof, and his hurricane-hit study proved hewasn't kidding. There was the biographyof McClellen he'd worked on sporaticallyfor years, and, then, over coffee, hetalked about a novel of the RevolutionaryWar, an interest I'd not knownabout.Jim made a difference. As a bureaucrat,that's rare. Most of us spend anentire career competently keeping themachinery going wherever we areassigned, but, when we finish, there'slikely no visible product or institution wecan point to and say "There, I did that."A few years back the Park Service putJim in a newly-created job to coordinatecooperating associations Servicewide. Jimtook the job and never looked back. Bythe time he retired for health reasons he'dhelped his agency as few ever do. Theasssociations' growth and the relationshipwe have today is the measure of that.Jim over-reacted sometimes; a glitchcould strike him as a frontal attack. Butit wasn't a problem for those of us whoworked with him. In fact, it was refreshing.We were working with someone whocared, mightily, about what we weredoing.Jim and I talked about dying once, onthe long drive from El Paso to Big Bend.As I remember, we didn't say muchabout what we'd die and leave behind.We mostly didn't think it was a goodidea.In an odd coincidence, I received a letterfrom my Dad, written on March 30.Of course he didn't know about Jim—didn't even know Jim. But writing onthat day he mentioned he'd wanted tocheck some memory about CanyonlandsNational Park, so he'd pulled down "JimMurfin's book that you gave me forChristmas" and looked up what hewanted, then spent most of the afternoon"browsing through the national parks."For a long time to come a lot of peoplewho never heard of Jim, people visitingthe parks and even NPS people, will40 COURIER/May 1987

enefit by things he wrote, bureaucraticsquabbles he squabbled, ideas he had,and what he got done. I guess I willbenefit too; but right now I've got afriend-sized hole that's still sharp aroundthe edges.Dan MurphyJ im Murfin's legacy to the nationalpark movement takes two forms: first,his official creative contributions to thestrengthening and professionalizing of thepublishing and bookselling of thecooperating associations, and second, hispersonal creative contributions, throughhis writing and publishing, of articles andbooks that conveyed his fascination with,and understanding of, the places andevents of American history.Both of these endeavors required risktakingand commitment, and bothresulted in an enrichment that enhancedthe literary dimensions of the parkexperience. This enrichment is indeed alegacy to future generations.Mark CarrollIn the summer of 1983, I drove norththrough Maryland with Jim Murfin onour way to Harpers Ferry. We hadstarted out from Rockville early in theevening and before long, as he had doneon previous travels in other places, hebegan a detailed and enthralling historicalaccount, this time of various Civil Warengagements in northern Maryland. Evenafter night had fallen, he would occasionallypunctuate the story by pointingout the window and saying somethinglike, "And their tents were pitched righton that ridge," or, "They split theirtroops and the main column took a roadthat ran through that pass." Of course, itwas too dark to see anything. And yet Isaw everything. I have always liked themetaphor, "to shed light," and rememberthinking as we drove through the Marylandcountryside that here was a manwho was in the process of doing justthat—exposing someone else to story andhistory that, on a number of levels, hadthe power to erase darkness.What constantly pervaded Jim'sthought was a living sense of historyderived from genuine compassion for thehuman dilemma and respect for the dignityand courage of the human spirit.Something, of course, must be saidabout Jim Murfin's contribution to thenational park system through cooperatingassociations. But perhaps no more thanthat he had a profound understanding ofthe power of language and books to alterour perceptions and build a constituencyfor the preservation of our cultural andnatural heritage. Jim's indelible mark wasto inform many of us about the awfulresponsibility of that work.Tim PriehsWe lost Jimwith the sun on March 30th, 1987.We miss himin the dark, but his memory gleams in ahistory of Antietam;through laughter, friendship, and hopeFrom the plaque dedicatedby his son at the Canyon rimW hen my friend, Jim Murfin, begandiscussing the Civil War, his voiceexploded with excitement-soldiershushed and nervous in Mr. Miller'scornfield; a vast wave of blue risingsteadily from the earth, a sunkenMaryland farm lane in its path; athree-arched stone bridge over a lazy,peaceful creek; a last minute attackthat changed the course of Americanhistory. Such is the drama of Antietam,a drama James Murfin sharedwith the world in his award-winningbook called The Gleam of Bayonets.The Gleam of Bayonets embodiedJim's unique perception of life. Understandingthe past helped him understandhimself. Sharing the past withthe present became his major contributionto his world. Yet Jim's greatestgift is to the future-his research andwritings will be everlasting. Many try,but few succeed in influencing thepast, present, and future. Jim Murfintruly was a man of all seasons for alltimes.Dennis E. FryeJ im Murfin was a faultless dresser.That was one of the things I noticedwhen we met for the first time in 1967,when Jim was working in the office ofFred Schwengel, a former Iowa congressmanwho was then head of theCapitol History Society. A man of variableconduct, Schwengel enjoyed afame of sorts from his ability to do ahundred push-ups at an advanced age,only one reason Jim was looking for away out.Jim's credentials were persuasive.The Gleam of Bayonets, the story ofthe Antietam battle, had earned him anational reputation. Vince Gleason invitedhim to join the division of publications.The Harpers Ferry Center initiallyadministered the Mather TrainingCenter and Harpers Ferry NHS.Jim immediately saw the opportunityin the restored town to create one ofthe finest bookstores in the UnitedStates, and his colleagues soon foundthat Jim could take a project and runwith it.During the development stages ofthe bookstore, Vince fumed that hewas seeing too little of his newemployee. I marveled at the swiftprogress. Later, when the bills arrived,I fumed, and Vince said, "That guy hasmoves like Hartzog." Of more importance,the bookstore was a stunner.Jim, we discovered, had style and unerringgood taste in many things.He was the unanimous selectionwhen the job of cooperating associationcoordinator opened in 1974. I won'tattempt to enumerate his accomplishmentsin the short space here, exceptto say no one in the Park Service couldhave done so well. He developed anatmosphere of trust and was indefatigablein his efforts to upgrade the qualityof association operations.In my dealings with Jim in the yearsI've been on the board of directors ofEastern National, I found him to bethat rare public official who didn't believethe government had all thatmany secrets worth hiding. He was bynature frank and candid. He neitherdivulged privileged information norengaged in bureaucratic cant. ThePark Service didn't own Jim Murfin.He had too many things going, and hewas always his own man.At the memorial service his son,COURIER/May 1987 41

Steve, spoke of the things he hadlearned from his father. One was alove of the national parks. Steve washiking the Grand Canyon at the time ofhis father's death. Another impressivething about his father, Steve said, wasthe diversity of his interests, includinga passion for M*A*S*H* re-runs. Jimalso was a prolific writer. In 1986 hepublished three books and three magazinearticles, and marketed twogames, one on the national parks andone on the Civil War.Steve remembered a Saturdaymorning when his father was workingat home. It was a nice day and heasked his father to come out and play."I'm sorry, Steve," Jim said, "but I can'tmake it today. There isn't enough timeand I have too many things to do."Bill Everhartttf->vjuess what, Jim? I've just becomethe first publications managerfor Parks and History Association. If itweren't for you, I might have missedeven knowing about cooperating associations."At the other end of thephone line Jim tried to sound excited.I know he was pleased, but his voicewas faint and straining. It was the firstweek of March, and somehow I knewthen that I would not see Jim again.Jim worked out of an office in HarpersFerry when I first met him in theearly 70s. A mutual friend knew ofJim's interest in developing a publicationstraining course for associations,and knew of my experience in conductingtraining courses for historicalsocieties and museums. Jim and Isoon teamed up with Ed Pilley to developa course in publications design andproduction at Albright Training Center.The first two design and productioncourses went so well that we deviseda companion course on writingand editing. These training courses,together with Jim's course on associationmanagement and operations, theworkshops and exhibits at the biennialconferences, the publications awardscompetition, bookstore design programs,and a long list of other achievementshad a consistent objective: tohelp associations realize their fullestpotential.Jim recognized the associations' potentialbetter than anyone. At times,he must have felt like a one-personcheering section. Sometimes the ParkService or even an association's ownboard of directors needed as muchconvincing as an audience of concessionersabout the importance of cooperatingassociations. Jim constantlypromoted cooperating associations tothe publishing trade. Largely throughhis efforts, associations now benefitfrom better discounts, joint publishingopportunities, and new distributionchannels. Thanks to Jim, national parkliterature reaches audiences far beyondthe park visitor. And just as publishersawoke to new markets, park storiesbegan to attract well-known authors,photographers, artists, and designers.Jim made it easy to attract the bestpeople for association programs. Hisenthusiasm was contagious. It seemedperfectly natural to think that writerslike Barry Lopez and Jean Fritz wouldbe willing to take a week of their timeto work with a handful of park interpretersand association people atGrand Canyon—and they were—because Jim made it seem important.Sometimes the importance couldbe measured in dollars and cents. Ananecdote that Jim used in seminarsbecame the basis for an article in PublishersWeekly a few years ago. Publishers'representatives at the AmericanBooksellers Association conventionspaid little attention to him when -he tried to talk about bookstores in thenational parks, until the day Jim wroteacross his nametag: "I represent 210small bookstores with gross sales of$7,000,000." That was ten years ago.The gross sales are closer to S26 millionnow. Jim would credit improved publicationsdesign and merchandising forthis impressive growth. I think he deservesto share the credit. Without hisvision, associations might still be operatingbookstores out of shoeboxes.Sometimes the importance of associationwork had less tangible measures—likethe expressions of appreciation,even awe—from participants inthe training programs. The handful ofstudents at Grand Canyon saw theirworld differently after a week with JeanFritz, Barry Lopez, and others—and sodid I! Instructors and students alikewere energized by the experience.I am doubly blessed to have beenable to work with Jim not only on programsfor associations nationwide, butalso close at home. Jim grew up not farfrom Harpers Ferry, and both his vocationand avocations kept him involvedin the Harpers Ferry Historical Association.Ours is a small, independentcooperating association, and we haveexperienced frequent growing painsthrough the years. The time Jim spentwith our association went far beyondthe responsibilities of his job.This year, our association finallyhad funds to publish a book on HarpersFerry. Jim seemed the ideal choiceto be author—intimate with the historyof Harpers Ferry and committed tomaking every association project thebest it can be. Jim died before completingthe work. He managed to sendus a rough manuscript as he enteredthe hospital for the last time. We hopeto make it a book that he would beproud to claim.As I join the staff of Parks and History,I am excited and honored by theopportunity to be involved with cooperatingassociations in a new way. I knowfrom having shared Jim's enthusiasmthat this is an important place to be.Jim often told association publishersthat they are special people, doingsomething special and at a specialplace. He made each person involvedin association work feel important becausehe truly believed we are. But Iknow no one who had a keener senseof purpose and of place than Jim Murfin.He knew his place in this worldand he left the world a better place forthe rest of us.Paula DegenJim's family has requested that donationsin his memory be sent to the SaveHistoric Antietam Foundation, P.O. Box550, Sharpsburg, MD 21782. The familyaddress is 802 Aster Boulevard,Rockville, MD 20850.42 COURIER/May 1987

BooksRather belatedly I have read RonaldA. Foresta's wonderfully critical andanalytical book, America's NationalParks and Their Keepers. I commend itto all employees of the National ParkService.There are some points, however,where I feel the author's research was abit shallow.For instance, the book would lead thereader to conclude that the '72 NationalPark System Plan was the first suchguide for the expansion of the system.True enough that it may have been thefirst such plan published in a popularformat, but the activity and, indeed,published plans were extant in the late30s. I used such a handbook on nationalpark system planning in the late '50swhen I joined the NPS. It even used thethematic approaches embodied in the '72plan.In this same regard, conservation conceptssuch as the New Jersey Pinelandspredate the claims of Foresta. ThePinelands concept began, not underDirector Whalen, but in the late '60s.Another point I might argue isForesta's assertion that the NPS did littleto exercise its external responsibilities. Infact the NPS has always had a major externalcomponent, originating, I suppose,in the CCC days. A major part ofthe agency's directorate, both at theWashington and regional levels, hasbeen oriented to this responsibility.Publication of the book Parks forAmerica culminated a long history ofassistance to states in statewide parkplanning.Foresta's conclusions about several ofour past directors seem a bit off-base.Wirth had more than a casual interest inexternal affairs. His Mission 66 was farmore than simply a massive developmentprogram—development was simplyits most visible manifestation. Wirth'sdemise was brought about by, I submit,a more human dilemma—he enjoyedrecognition as one of America's greatestconservationists, a recognition to whichmy good friend, Stewart Udall, aspired.I also found Foresta ambiguous onGeorge Hartzog, under whose leadershipthe NPS attained its most unambiguous,well-directed, and energized heights.Foresta perpetuates the old dichotomyof natural history and human history.How would he classify areas likeCumberland Island, Cumberland Gap,Acadia, Golden Gate, and many others?The fact is that the national park systemis composed of a whole array of areasranging from the most completelyhuman-dominated to the least. It's agross over-simplification to so categorizethe areas of the system. Fortunatelyenough, I think we assumed a muchmore sophisticated approach to managementof the parks when the NPSadopted a single set of ManagementPolicies and started managing and planningthe parks on the basis of resourcevalues and land classifications.Another conclusion which I find unsupportableis the contention that theService's "Landmarks" programs resultedfrom the inability to protect these areasby fee-simple acquisition. The landmarkprograms were never adopted assubstitutes for acquisition, but rather inrecognition of the fact that preservationof nationally significant resources was ashared responsibility among many agenciesat all levels and the private sector.One should also note that the use ofless-than-fee simple acquisition, in contrastto Foresta's findings, was notdriven solely by a shortage of land acquisitionfunds. Even the earliest sceniceasements were acquired to preserve andperpetuate landscape types. It was, andstill is, recognized that certain landscapes(farmlands, for instance) can best bepreserved by others. The dilemma facedby the Service has been those situationsin which cost of partial title is tantamountto fee. But the fact remains thateven under those situations, in the longrun, it is often more prudent andeconomical to acquire only partial title ifthe objective of landscape preservation isbest assured by private efforts.In spite of these points, Foresta's bookis an immensely enjoyable and readablechronicle of our agency's past.Other books of note:-John W. Bright, FASLAAssistant ManagerDenver Service CenterZion Album by J. L. Crawford,published by the Zion Natural HistoryAssociation, highlights the early settlementdays of Zion Canyon. The book'sreproductions of hand-colored glassplates, coupled with Crawford's personalreminiscences, have created a stunninginterplay of text and graphics. Thehistorical uniqueness and grandeur ofthe setting are evident in the colorfulpages of this publication. An excellentbook to keep for oneself or give as agift. Contact Zion Natural HistoryAssociation, Zion National Park,Springdale, Utah 84767 for informationabout ordering.Linda Daniel's Kayak Cookery: AHandbook of Provisions and Recipes,just published by Pacific Search Press inSeattle, is an imaginative guide to provisioning,packing, and preparing food forpaddling trips. In fact, many of therecipes lend themselves to any outdoorcooking venture—be it boating orbackpacking. Gingered clams, almondchicken, and pancakes stirred up from acache of sourdough are a few of Daniel'screations. Topics include shopping forbasics; packing and repacking utensilsand the like; cooking, carrying andcaching; fishing and foraging; feedingparties of five or more; and drying foodto reduce bulk. The book costs $9.95plus $1.25 per order for shipping andhandling, payable by check, moneyorder, or charge. Mail order and paymentto Pacific Search Press, 222 DexterAvenue North, Seattle, WA 98109.Preservation Press has published theIndustrial Eye, containing 120 color andduotone photographs by Jet Lowe of thiscountry's engineering and industriallandmarks—from mines and mills topower plants. The book is a dramaticmelding of American engineering, architecture,history and art. Write theNational Trust for Historic Preservation,1785 Massachusetts Avenue, NW,Washington, DC 20036. The price of thebook is $34.95, well worth it for thosewho can appreciate an unusualphotographic vision perceived throughthe industrial eye.Available through the University ofAlabama Press, P.O. Box 2877,Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-2877 is TheAlabama Catalog: A Guide to the EarlyArchitecture of the State by RobertGamble ($55 plus $1 for postage andhandling). The book traces the architecturalcurrents that have surfaced inAlabama over the years to generate boththe vigorous local adaptation ofcharacteristic folk houses and the landmarksophistication of structuresepitomizing the fashionable tastes oftheir day.Finally, North-South Videos, Inc.,P.O. Box 376, Bolton, MS 39041 hasproduced a 70-minute video cassette entitledGrant's March: The VicksburgCampaign, researched by historian EdBearss and making use of present-dayphotography, old photos and animatedmaps. The tape costs $39.95 plus $2.50for shipping and handling (check ormoney order) and comes in a book-likeplastic case. Allow 4 to 6 weeks fordelivery.COURIER/May 1987 43

LettersTo the Editor:I have just read Dick Sellars'thoughtful article in the November issueof the Courier concerning our own institutionalfrontiers, and how they havebeen closing, or changing to differentkinds of frontiers. His ideas clarifiedsome of my own, and maybe they areworth sharing.Except for a few developed segmentsof the national park system in Alaska,the national parklands of this region areprimitive wilderness places, aggregatingnearly 50 million acres. By Congressionalmandate, they will stay that way.And our management style will continueto conform to the terms of the landscapesrather than the reverse. Thismeans few people over vast acreage, allof them wearing many hats. In essence,a landbase-and-institutional frontierperpetuated. For those people attractedto the National Park Service by the idealof old-style rangering, Alaska is theplace to go. Why could we not (to fulfillthat ideal, as well as the institutionalneed for a special corps of old-stylerangers who "can do anything," both inAlaska and in other wilderness areas)view Alaska assignments as the basictrainingground for primitive arearangers. By virtue of Alaska's seasonsand the diversity of its land, sea, andriverscapes, it provides the opportunityto develop every rangering skill, includingresource management andassociation with indigenous and frontierculture groups. A steady cadre of experiencedranger supervisors could inculcateboth the skills and the ethos thatare equal parts of this rangering tradition.The advantages are obvious, itseems to me. The basic-training concept—possiblya 2-year stint—could providea way, both for the areas and forthe individuals involved to keep excitementalive and avoid extended Alaskaassignments for those with othergeographic preferences. Many careerpeople could have the Alaska experienceearly in their careers, then carry it andthe attitudes it would encourage into thebroader system in order to enrich theirassignments and associations elsewhere.As the frontier was once a safetyvalvefor the nation and a setting wherecharacter-building myths could be made,so Alaska could perform a similar servicefor the NPS. There are people cominginto the workforce every day whoneed that extra challenge. The Park Serviceattracts a disproportionate numberof them—idealists, people looking for atest. The Alaska parklands are a goodplace to start for people such as these.They need the Service, and Lord knowsthe Service needs them.Bill BrownAROTo the Editor:I am most pleased with the stampseries for the blue "Passports to yourNational Parks." I have several stamps,obtained at the proper sites, as well asseveral cancellations: from the DelawareWater Gap to Jefferson National Expansion;from Everglades to the lovelyStatue of Liberty; from Gettysburg to Ft.Scott. I am most impressed with theconcept, and pleased that the Park Servicehas done so much to obtain, protect,and improve forts, historical buildings,and wilderness areas. So, for what it isworth, thank you.Sandra H. MooreEditor's note: As the following letter explains,the Washington Post ran a columnon the condition of NPS collections.Since the story, as covered by the Post,was incomplete, Director Mott's responsefills out the picture.To the Post Editor:Your January 6, 1987, issue ran JackAnderson's and Joseph Spear's columnentitled "National Treasures AreMissing." The column listed several problemsthe National Park Service faces inhandling its enormous collection ofmuseum objects. I would like to sharewith your readers some of the things thatare being done about those problems.The Chief Curator, Ann Hitchcock, isa highly trained professional in themuseum field. Since she was appointed tothat post, the Service has:• completed accession records on virtuallyits entire collection;• computerized its National Catalogof Museum Objects and increasedthe rate of cataloging by more than300 percent;• completed Scope-of-CollectionStatements, which are essential tosound collection management, foreach of the 337 units of the nationalpark system;• assessed the condition of collectionstorage, security, and fire protectionin each unit, and developed a programto correct deficiencies. Manyparks had no deficiencies and manyothers have taken direct correctiveactions; and• trained over 300 Service employeesin cataloging and curatorialmethods.Three million objects, of an estimated20 million total in the collection, havebeen cataloged; thus 14 percent (ratherthan the reported 4 percent) of thecataloging task is complete. Historical objectsof the type featured in the columnare approximately 45 percent cataloged.The bulk of our backlog comes from theenormous numbers of items that arerecovered from archeological excavations,and field guidance is now being preparedto improve handling of archeologicalmaterials.In Fiscal Year 1987, the Congress increasedour appropriation for thecuratorial program. The President'sbudget for Fiscal Year 1988 retains thatincrease and adds more. In a reorganizationplan now in its final phases, I amupgrading the Chief Curator to a higherstatus and thus to a higher priority.The National Park Service does notmind having its problems discussed in thepress. The parks and the collectionsbelong to the public and the people havea right to know, but we also want thepeople to know that we are doing thingsabout those problems.To the Editor:William Penn Mott, Jr.DirectorAmong the most significant and poignantsources of information dealing withthe American Revolution are the collectionsof firsthand accounts of RevolutionaryWar Veterans. These narratives,written by veterans to qualify for pensions,give even the casual reader a vastamount of firsthand information aboutwhat it was like to be a Continentalsoldier.As I read these accounts, I often thinkabout the tremendous amount of NPS informationbeing lost each year as careeremployees retire or leave for other occupations.I am sure that there are manyindividuals around who worked for theService in the 1930s or before. Somethingshould be done to contact these individualsin the hope of recording theirexperiences. Each career employee shouldbe encouraged to write a biography uponleaving the Service. Above and beyondthis, a personal file should be maintainedon each one. This file would contain ablack-and-white photograph, a careerrecord somewhat on the order of a per-44 COURIER/May 1987

sonnel file, and, most importantly, personalinput from the employee on aregular basis, especially at the end of hisor her career.Both employee accounts and biographieswould be written to containmore than just a litany of career movesor accomplishments. Stress would begiven to events and accounts relating tothe National Park Service: how thingschanged, what it was like to work at aspecific area, unusual events remembered,personal stories of note, etc.After a system of collecting thesematerials was created, a permanentdepository would need to be established.All of this enterprise would take time,sacrifice, and money. But what a rewardwould be in store for those students whowere interested in the early years of theNational Park Service, say two hundredyears from now!To the Editor:Dennis LattaPark RangerGeorge Rogers Clark NHPI was pleased to read the article(Courier, Jan. 1987) about helicopter rappellingin Yellowstone/Grand Teton. Toadd to the article's historical record,allow me to note that a helicopter rappellingprogram was initiated in GlacierNational Park in the early 1970s, modeledafter a successful U.S. Forest Serviceprogram established well before that time.Well-known mountain pilot Jim Krugerworked successfully with Park Servicefire and rescue crewmen to perfect techniques.Several successful rappels weremade to small forest fires prior to RegionalOffice decisions ending the program.I am delighted to discover rappellingis making a return.To the Editor:C.W. BuchholtzExecutive DirectorRocky MountainNature AssociationI note in the February Courier (p. 48)Horace Albright's remarks on the wearingof the NPS uniform.It reminds me of the office party givenby the Williamsburg Restoration staffabout Christmas, 1930. It was a costumeaffair and (fresh from the West) I woremy uniform: a real curiosity. Only KennethChorley who had been dealing withHMA in the West knew what it was. Istill have it, though I'm afraid to try iton!In the East there was one exception: inAcadia Park, George Dorr, its Bostonianfounder, certainly never wore one, butBen Hadley, his assistant superintendent,a native, did. So did his NPS motorcyclepatrolmen, up and down Cadillac Mountain.I had a small part in the uniformdesign. In September of 1929, whilewaiting for Tom Vint to come downfrom Alaska enroute to Yellowstone(where he proposed to Mary, his soon-tobe-wife),I sat in an Olympic Hotel roomin Seattle and designed the hatband stillused—the Sequoia foliage bit—on a pieceof brown wrapping paper. Someone elsecontributed the metal ornament.To the Editor:Charles E. Peterson, FAIAPlease advise Duncan Morrow thataccording to The Random House CollegeDictionary found in my quarters here atPhantom Ranch (and stamped with"Property of the U.S. Government"),verbal is defined as "expressed in spokenwords" (third definition). This means itis a synonym for oral and that all of uswho use it that way are not guilty ofmangling the English language—in thiscase at least.I like grammer, punctuation, andspelling. I'm happy to learn about commonmistakes and pitfalls, and enjoyedMr. Morrow's "War with Words" in theNovember Courier. Any additional articleshould address / and me, which areoften misused.Pat GrediaginRanger, Grand CanyonDear Ms. Grediagin:I should know better, but I can'tresist a challenge.First, many dictionaries—especiallythose of Merriam-Webster—are, byeditorial design, purely descriptive. Theychoose to tell you how words are, orhave been, used, but not how theyshould be used.The degree to which dictionaries arealso prescriptive—offering judgments asto how words should be used—variesconsiderably. They also have spacelimitations that cause them to minimizenotes.Your Random House dictionary hasthe citation you note. It also has, at theend of the "verbal" entry, this line: "syn.3. See oral." Then, under "oral," we finda discussion of the subtle differences.A range of other sources, from thehighly prescriptive Oxford AmericanDictionary (it also acknowledges theuse of verbal as a synonym for oral,then notes "careful writers do not useverbal in this sense "), through fames J.Kilpatrick's The Writer'iArt, to theWashington Post_I^ejk^ookqn_Shile,is unanimous in finding this useundesirable. Many cite the specificphrase, "verbal agreement," as an exampleof the confusion that can arise. Issuch an agreement casually made overlunch or carefully hammered out in alawyer's office? Use of either oral orwritten would leave no such confusion.Along the way, I found two supportingreferences with similar titles:Webster's Dictionary of Usage andStyle by Roy H. Copperud (New York:Avenel Books, 1982), and Webster'sNew World Dictionary of Synonyms byRuth Kent Kimball (New York: Simonand Schuster, 1984).I point these out only as a reminder.Noah Webster's name is not protectedby trademark or copywright. Anypublisher may use the name. It offers noguarantee of accuracy, clarity, or excellence.On the question of J versus me, ourproblem is almost always confined tocompounds: we rarely get confusedwhen the pronoun stands alone. I wentto the store. The superintendent sent amemorandum to me. Confusion sets inwhen we are not alone: John and I wentto the store. The superintendent sentmemorandums (memoranda for Latinpurists) to Mary and me.Style and usage books offer a widerange of explanations for why we getthings wrong when we mix others intothe sentence with ourselves.A common theory—and one towhich I grudgingly subscribe since it appearsto make more sense than the otherexplanations I've read—is that etiquetteis the source of our troubles. Commongood manners say that we should speakof others before we speak of ourselves.Since we know how to use I and meproperly when they stand alone, weprobably would use them properly if wespoke of ourselves first: I and John wentto the store. I is the nominative case(subject); me, the objective (object).The solution is to impose a mentaltrick on the sentence construction.Before committing the sentence to paperor speaking it aloud, consider which personalpronoun you would use if it werenot combined with someone else (byname or pronoun). Then, add the otherpeople in. putting yourself (I or me) atthe end of the combined form.After all that, go home and listen toyour six-year-old say: "Me and Billywant some cookies." Do you correct thegrammar first? Is this the time to workCOURIER/May 1987 45

on manners? Or do you give them thecookies first, knowing the cookiecrunchingwill drown out your best effortsto improve your child's speechhabits?Duncan MorrowLife A ftefRetirementDennis E. McGinnisTrivia Answers(From pg. 14)1. Chickamauga & Chattanooga NationalMilitary Park, August 19, 1890.2. Seven in all. They were AndrewJohnson, Ulysses S. Grant, Rutherford B.Hayes, James A. Garfield, Chester A.Arthur, Benjamin Harrison, and WilliamMcKinley.3. Rutherford B. Hayes and WilliamMcKinley, both of the 23rd OhioVolunteer Infantry.4. There were sixteen, the first beingSgt. William H. Carney, Company C,54th Massachusetts Infantry, for valor inthe assault on Battery Wagner, July 18,1863.5. On the Confederate side, Brig. Gen.Stand Watie, Cherokee; on the Unionside, Bvt. Brig. Gen. Ely S. Parker,Seneca.6. Sarah Seebye became FranklinThompson of Company F, 2d MichiganInfantry, and Jennie Hodges becameAlbert D. J. Cashier, 95th Illinois.7. Brig. Gen. Frank C. Armstrong.8. Musician Charles King, 49th Pa. Infantry,age 12, who died at the battle ofAntietam.9. The 37th Iowa Volunteer Infantrybecame known as the Greybeards. Theoldest in their ranks was Pvt. CurtisKing, 80.10. Pvt. E. Pollard, 5th NorthCarolina Infantry, age 73.Losing the battle of the bulgeA couple of years ago, when oureight-year-old grandson spent the summerwith us, he and I ventured to the atticone rainy afternoon in search of toys thathe might find entertaining.In our quest, we happened upon myold World War II uniform. My grandsonscrutinized my present physique (whichI'll admit does not resemble the modelsyou find fashioning men's garb today)and my army uniform."Grandpa, did you really wear thatuniform?"I sucked in my gut as far as I couldand still conduct a conversation. "Certainlydid.""Grandpa, I'd like to see you get intothat uniform now.""Why do you say that son?""To see what you looked like whenyou were a soldier fighting the big war."Pride is a deceitful ally. "I'll do thatfor you son.""Oh goodie. This is going to be fun.I'm going to tell grandma to get thecamera and take your picture."Before I could pass on that suggestion,he displayed the speed of a cheetah,zoomed out of the room and downstairs."Grandma, quick get the camera andcome up to the attic and take a picture ofgrandpa in his war uniform."'Tour grandfather is not going to attemptto do anything as stupid as that, ishe?""Yep. He's getting his uniform on rightnow.""There will be white blackbirds theday he can get into that uniform.""What do you mean whiteblackbirds?""Ask your grandfather. He'll explain itto you.""Are you going to take grandpa's picture?""If your grandfather gets into his oldarmy uniform, not only will I take hispicture but I will have it enlarged andframed."Being privy to the dialogue betweenmy spouse and grandson, I detected atrace of sarcasm in my wife's observations,making me more determined to getinto my uniform. That was a mistake.Removing the uniform pants from thehanger, I noticed the wasteline didn'tpossess the circumference I remembered.Attempting to slip into the trousersproved I was in trouble.My grandson detected my inability toclose the gap in the pants in front of mybellybutton. He started giggling. "Can'tget your pants around your fat belly, canyou grandpa7""Oh yes I can.""Grandpa, why is your face gettingred? You're talking funny, too. Wow!Grandma should get a picture of this."Recognizing defeat, I succumbed to itand replaced the pants back on thehanger. "Aren't you going to put on youruniform coat with all the ribbons on it,so grandma can take a picture of it?""The dry cleaners have shrunk it somuch I can't get into it anymore.""Now I won't have a picture of you inyour uniform, grandpa.""Oh yes you will, son." I removed myuniform cap from its box, put it on myhead (that fit, at least) and we walkeddownstairs to have grandma take our picture.46 COURIER/May 1987

In search of answers at Biscayne NPBonnie L. FaneckPark RangerBiscayne NPThe submersible DELTA exploring Biscayne NP.Since the creation of the NationalPark Service, researchers have soughtout answers to help them better managepark resources. Personnel have surveyedfish, burned meadows and removed exoticspecies in order to run the parks accordingto policy.For resource managers at Biscayne NationalPark in Florida, studying theresource is no easy task, because 95% ofthe park is under water. Found beneaththe surface is a myriad of marine mammals,fishes, sponges and crustaceans.At its center lies one of the most unusualresources protected by the National ParkService—the coral reefs.The coral reef is an extremely delicateand fragile community, affected by bothnatural and man-induced phenomena,ranging from hurricanes and fluctuationsin water temperature to anchor damageand collection of corals and tropical fish.Many other influences and synergisticaffects are just starting to be recognizedand identified.Research on the coral reef is a slowand very complex process. Recently,oceanographers from Biscayne NationalPark obtained valuable information withthe assistance of a submarine known asDelta. The 2-man submersible was theprimary vessel involved in a cooperativeresearch project among Biscayne NationalPark, NOAA, the U.S. GeologicalSurvey, Caribbean Marine ResearchCenter, and the John Perry Foundation.Even though the sub is only 15 Vi feetlong, and 42 inches in diameter, it carriesall the necessary equipment forunderwater research: 19 viewing ports, amechanical sampling arm, surface andunderwater communications and a trackingsystem linked to its support vessel,"Undersea Hunter." Researchers onboard the Undersea Hunter were able toplot Delta's course on a video monitor.Dr. Stephen Cofer-Shabica andRichard Curry, oceanographers at BiscayneNational Park and co-organizersof the expedition, used the Delta to explorenewly identified internal and externalinfluences on the park's coral reef.One goal of the Biscayne team was toidentify areas of freshwater seepage andits effects on coral and fish distribution.Although success was limited, freshwaterflow was suspected in 150 and 245 feetof water, at the southern end of thepark. According to Dr. Cofer-Shabica,the fresh water could increase stress tothe coral, already affected by living inthe northernmost range of its environment.Locating and mapping areas of opensand and freshwater seepage will helpNational Park and Dade County officialsselect better sites for artificial reefs. Tosink a ship near areas of freshwater flowwould limit its potential to become aproductive artificial reef. Although allartificial reefs are outside park boundaries,researchers wanted to see if theywere drawing fish stocks from parkreefs. "They probably were not—bothwere in good shape," says Dr. Cofer-Shabica.Another find that may also assist theartificial reef program was the discoveryof an ancient sea-level marking. A sharpdrop-off in the ocean bottom was found,which, according to researchers, may indicatethe sea-line covered during themelting of glaciers 16,000 years ago duringthe Wisconsin period. This may helpartificial reef builders take better advantageof the area's encrusting organisms.In all, 47 dives were made during the10-day project, the deepest dive being1,060 feet, and the shallowest dive madeat 34 feet. In those 47 dives, many questionswere answered; many surprisediscoveries were made; and muchvaluable data was gathered. All the participantsagreed that the Delta made informationavailable that otherwise mighthave taken years to obtain.Oops!Ana Villagra's name inadvertentlywas left off the list of credits for theApril issue of the Courier. Our apologiesfor the oversight.COURIERThe National Park Service NewletterWILLIAM PENN MOTT, JR., DirectorNational Park ServiceU.S. Department of the InteriorP.O. Box 37127Washington, D.C. 20013-7127Editorial AdvisorsGeorge J. Berklacy — Chief, Office ofPublic AffairsNaomi Hunt—Alumni Editor, E&AAGene Scovill-NPW/£&AA EducationTrust FundTheresa Wood — Executive Director,E&AAConrad Wirth — Representative-at-LargeMary Maruca — EditorRicardo Lewis — GraphicsArtistCOURIER/May 1987 i, U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 1987— 1 8 1 - 4 3 7 4 0 0 1 3 47

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIORNATIONAL PARK SERVICEP.O BOX 37127WASHINGTON, DC. 20013-7127THIRD CLASS MAILPOSTAGE & FEES PAIDU S DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIORC-83